MAPLE. 



Family: THE MAPLES. [Translator's note: now ACERACEAE] 

 Reproductive system: POLYGAMY, MONCECY. 



Maples make up a very numerous genus, and they are widely distributed in both 

 the old and new world. North America in particular has several species, some of which 

 produce sugar. The limitations of this volume prevent me from describing them all. I will 

 discuss only the most common and useful ones in our climate. 



The common maple, Acer campestre, Linn., is a tree that grows twenty-five to 

 thirty feet high on a trunk with hard, cracked bark. The leaves are opposite and are borne 

 on long petioles. They have five lobes that are blunt at the tip and at their indentations. 

 The flowers are small, yellowish, and are arranged in panicles. I've seen both 

 hermaphroditic and male flowers on the same tree. The calyx has five deep indentations 

 and the corolla has five petals. Eight stamens are inserted on a glandular circle 

 surrounding the base of the ovary, which is surmounted by a style and two stigmata. The 

 fruit is a capsule or samara with two compartments equipped with two widely spread 

 wings. 



FLOWERS: in April and May. 

 RANGE: France and Europe. 



NOMENCLATURE. Acer comes from a Latin word meaning hard, because of the 

 sturdiness of it s wood. German, tier feldahorn. Danish, navr. English, the common maple. 

 Italian, acero commune. Russian, Men. Polish, klon. 



The sycamore maple, Acer pseudoplatanus, Linn., is one of our beautiful forest 

 trees. Its trunk is covered with a slightly reddish bark. The branches spread out and have 

 opposite leaves that are broad and have five pointed lobes with blunt uneven teeth. The 

 leaves are a beautiful green above 



