RED MAPLE 
RED MAPLE. SWAMP MAPLE. SOFT MAPLE. 
Acer rubrum. 
Generally distributed throughout eastern North America. Loves 
the borders of streams and low swamp lands which it sometimes 
covers to the exclusion of other trees. Will grow when planted on 
rich, well dressed, upland soil. Roots large, and fibrous. Grows 
rapidly. Attains the height of eighty to one hundred feet with trunk 
three to four feet in diameter. Its upright branches form a narrow 
head. The sap will produce sugar, but not abundantly. 
Bark.—Dark gray, divided by longitudinal ridges, the surface 
separating into large scales. Branchlets green or dark red, later 
bright red and shining, marked by many white lenticels, finally 
they become light gray tinged with red, sometimes almost white. 
Wood.—Light brown tinged with red, sapwood lighter ; heavy, 
close-grained. Notvery strong, smooth satiny surface. Presents 
curled and bird’s eye varieties. Used for cabinet work, is suffi- 
ciently elastic to be used for oars; fuel value is high. Sp. gr., 
0.6178; weight of cu. ft., 38.50 lbs. 
Winter Buds.—¥ lower buds aggregated, obtuse, red. Leaf buds 
obtuse, red, one-eighth of an inch long. The scales enlarge when 
spring growth begins, the inner become three-quarters of an inch 
long, narrow, and bright scarlet. 
Leaves.—Opposite, simple, two to six inches long, rather longer 
than broad, palmately three to five-lobed, lobes separated by acute 
sinuses, middle lobe longer than the others ; lobes irregularly doubly 
serrate or toothed. Base more or less heart-shaped or truncate; 
principal nerves conspicuous. They come out of the bud pale green 
and downy, when full grown are smooth, bright green above, whit- 
ish and downy beneath. In autumn they turn scarlet or crimson. 
Petioles long, slender, red or green. 
Flowers.—March, April, before the leaves. Polygamo-moneecious, 
or dicecious. Rich crimson or scarlet or dull yellowish red. Borne 
on the branchlets of the previous year in few-flowered fascicles, on 
short pedicels. 
Calyx.—Sepals four to five, oblong, obtuse, red, imbricate in bud. 
Petals.—¥ our to five, linear, red, imbricate in bud. 
Stamens.—Five to six, scarlet ; filaments slender, exserted in the 
staminate, included in the pistillate ; anthers oblong, introrse, two- 
celled ; cells opening longitudinally. 
Pistil.—Ovary superior, two-lobed, two-celled, compressed con- 
trary to the dissepiments, wing-margined, smooth, borne on a narrow 
disk. Styles two, united for a short distance, then separated into 
long, exserted, stigmatic lobes. Ovules two in each cell. 
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