aceracejE. 69 



Order 32. ACERACEJE* 



Trees with opposite palmaidy lobed, rarely pinnate leaves, without st.'pulcs, and 

 /lowers often 2>o!yyamous, som'times apctalous, small, in axillary racemes, corymbs 

 or fascicles. Sepals 5, rarely 4 to 9, mere or less united, colored, imbricate in acsti. 

 Tation. Petals 5, rarely 4 to 9, alternate with the sepals, hyroygnous. Stamens 

 usually 8, sometimes 9 to 12, distinct. Styles 2. Stigmas 2. Ovary 2-lobed, 

 2-cellcd. Fruit of 2 indehiscent winged samara, each 1-cclled, 1 to 2-secded. Saai'S 

 With little or no albumen. 



1. ACER. Linn. Maple. 



Lat. acer, sharp; the wood was anciently manufactured into weapons of wax. 



Calyx 5-lobed, sometimes 5-parted. Petals 5, or more. 

 Stamens 6 to 8, rarely 5. Samara 2-wmged, united at 

 base by abortion^ 1-seeded. — Trees with simple, palmately 

 lobed leaves, often heart-shaped at the base, and mostly polyga- 

 mous flowers. 



* Flowers in corymb or fascicles. Trees. 



1. A. rubrum, L. Red Maple. Swamp Maple. 



Leaves 3 to 5 lobed. heart shaped at the base, irregularly serrate and notched, 

 acute, the middle one usually the longest, glaucous, underneath; flowers on very 

 6hort pedicels ; petals linear oblong. 



Moist woods. March, April. A common tree from 20 to 40 feet high, with reddish 

 twigs. Trun'c covered with a smooth bark, m irke J with large, whiti spo% bosom- 

 ing dark with age. I. ""'? variable in size, pubeseent wluu }~ouug. Floioirs ap- 

 pearing iu early spring before the leave-, scarlet, or yellowish, about 3 in each 

 fascicle. Fruit on pedicels 2 to 3 inohss long, sm >oth. 



2. A. dasycarpum, Ehrb. White Maple. Silver Maple. 



Leaves deeply 5-lobed, with the sinuses rather acute, unequally and incisely 

 toothed; whitish glaucous underneath; flowers aggregated on short petioles; 

 petals none; fruit woolly when young, nearly smooth when grown, with large dilated 

 wings. 



Banks of streams ; not common. April, May. A fine ornamental tree, 30 to. SO 

 feet high, affording a sweet sap. Leaves on long petioles, nearly smooth when old. 

 Flowers greenish-yellow or purplish, usually about 5 together. ' Pedicels of the fruit 

 about an inch long. 



3. A. SACCIIARIXUM, L. Sugar Maple. Rock Maple. 



Leaves 3 to 5 lobed, with rounded sinuses and pointed lobes, sparingly sinuate 

 toothed, subcordate at base, glaucous beneath ; flowers from terminal leaf-bearing 

 and lateral leafless buds, drooping ; pedicels slender, hairy ; calyx hairy at the apex ;: 

 petals none. 



Woods and mountain valleys. April. A fine tree 50 to 80 feet high, with a trunk 

 2 to 3 feet in diameter. Bark of a light-gray color, rough and scaly. Brunches 

 numerous and finely ramified in open situations. Foliage very lux urient, deep 

 green and smooth above. Flowers yellowish, on long thread-like peduncles, fieti 

 oles smooth. This is one of tbe most useful trees of the forest; the sugar obtained 

 frow its sap is perhaps the most delicious of all sweets. The wood is very strong 

 and compact, often presenting that beautiful arrangement of fibre, called hird/s-ey* 

 maple, which is so highly esteemed in cabinet work." It is extensively cultivated M 

 an ornamental shade tree. 



• • Flowers m terminal racemes. Large shrubs. 



