ACERACEAE 
Sycamore Maple 
Acer pseudo-platanus L. 
HABIT.—A thrifty tree 50-60 feet high, with a trunk diam- 
eter of 2-3 feet; the crown roundish, spreading. 
LEAVESS.—Opposite, simple, 4-7 inches across, and as long 
as broad; thick; pentagonally 5-lobed, the lobes more or less 
ovate, separated by very narrow, acute sinuses extending about 
half-way to the midrib, the lobes coarsely and irregularly blunt- 
serrate, crenate-serrate, or slightly lobed; upper surface dark 
green and shining, somewhat wrinkled, but paler dull green and 
glaucous beneath; petioles long, stout. 
FLOWERS.—April, before the leaves; polygamo-monoe- 
cious; large, greenish yellow, in pendent racemes of umbellate 
cymes of about three each; sepals 5; petals 5; stamens 8, hairy; 
ovary hairy. 
FRUIT.—Ripens in autumn and germinates the following 
spring; pendent on long stalks; large, glabrous, paired samaras, 
with wings 134 inches long, diverging at about a right angle. 
_WINTER-BUDS.—Bright green; terminal bud 14-34 inch 
long, ovoid to subglobose, blunt, with bud-scales more or less 
keeled; lateral buds small, divergent. 
BARK.—Twigs lustrous, brown or gray, becoming slate 
colored on the branches; trunk gray or brownish, smooth or 
flaking off in short scales. 
WOOD.—Moderately heavy, hard, compact, brownish, with 
white sapwood. 
NOTES.—Exotic from Europe. Much planted in our cities, 
where it is thrifty, but short-lived. The crown is rather too 
broad for planting anywhere except on our widest streets. The 
leaves last two weeks longer in autumn than do those of our 
native maples. 
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