ACERACEAE 
Red Maple. Soft Maple 
Acer rubrum L, 
HABIT.—A medium-sized tree 40-50 feet high, occasionally 
in swamps 60-75 feet; trunk 1-3 feet in diameter; upright 
branches, which form a low, rather narrow, rounded crown: 
LEAVES.—Opposite, simple, 3-4 inches long and nearly as 
broad; 3-5-lobed by broad, acute sinuses, the lobes irregularly 
doubly serrate or toothed; glabrous, green above, whitish and 
generally glabrous beneath, turning bright scarlet in autumn; 
petioles long, slender. 
FLOWERS.—March-April, before the leaves; polygamo- 
monoecious or dioecious; in few-flowered fascicles on shoots of 
the previous year, the pistillate red, the staminate orange; sepals 
4-5; petals 4-5; stamens 5-8; ovary smooth. 
FRUIT.—May-June, germinating immediately after reach- 
ing the ground; samaras small, on drooping pedicels 2-4 inches 
long; wings about 1 inch long, diverging at ‘about a right angle. 
WINTER-BUDS.—Dark red, blunt; terminal bud about 
1% inch long, with bud-scales rounded at the apex; flower-buds 
clustered on side spurs. 
BARK.—Twigs bright red, lustrous, becoming smooth and 
light gray on the branches; old trunks dark gray, ridged, separat- 
ing into plate-like scales. 
WOOD.—Heavy, close-grained, not strong, light brown, 
with thick, lighter colored sapwood. 
'‘DISTRIBUTION.—Throughout the entire state. 
HABITAT.—Prefers swamp-lands or banks of streams; 
rarely found on hillsides. 
NOTES.—A valuable shade and ornamental tree. Sugar 
has been made in small quantities from the sap. 
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