“ Rocky Mountains, on Bear River of Timpanagos.—A shrub or low tree,
with pale smooth branches. Leaves smaller than in A. saccharinum, glabrous
and somewhat shining above, minutely pubescent especially on the
veins beneath; lobes short, not in the least acuminate ; the middle one with
two blunt teeth on each side; the lateral with a single large diverging denture.
Pedicels pubescent above. Fruit turgid, glabrous; the wings less than
an inch long, semioval, slightly attenuated below, somewhat divergent.” Nutt.
—To this species we refer with little hesitation A. barbatum, Dougl. (not
of Michx.), which was found in “ Valleys near springs on the west side of
the Rocky Mountains, near the sources of the Columbia.” We have not
seen the flowers, but there is little doubt that the inflorescence is the same as
in A. saccharinum.
8. A. saccharinum (Linn.): leaves truncate and subcordate at the base
(whitish and minutely pubescent or glabrous beneath), 3-5-lobed, with
the sinuses obtuse; lobes with a slender acumination, coarsely and sparingly
sinuate-toothed ; sepals bearded at the apex within; petals none; fruit
glabrous, on long nodding pedicels; the wings dilated above, suberect or
slightly diverging.— Wang. Amer.p. 36, t. 11; Michx. fl. 2. p. 252; Pursh,
fl. 1. p. 266; Michx. f . sylv. 1. t. 42; Ell. sk. 1. p. 450; Torr. ! jl. 1. p.
397; Hook. Jl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 113. A. saccharum, Marsh, arbust. p. 4.
0. nigrum: leaves pale green beneath, the veins of the lower surface and
pgtioles minutely villous-pubescent; wings of the fruit a little more diverging.—
A. nigrum, Michx. f . sylv. 1 .1. 43.
In rather dry woods, Canada! to the mountains of Georgia! west to Arkansas
! and the Rocky Mountains. April-May.—Tree 50-80 feet high;
the trunk sometimes 2-3 feet in diameter; the wood compact and close-grained
: the sap contains sugar. Leaves 3-5 inches in length, generally wider
than long, on slender petioles, green and slightly lucid above, whitish and at
first very pubescent, at length minutely pubescent or nearly glabrous, except
on the veins beneath ; lobes diverging, usually three principal ones with two
small entire ones at the base. Flowers pale greenish-yellow, on pendulous
villous pedicels. Wings of the fruit about an inch long, semi-obovate.—Sugar
Maple.—Two accidental forms of arrangement of the woody fibre, &c.
furnish the Curled-Maple and the Birds-eye-Maple of cabinet-makers.
We are unable clearly to distinguish the, Black Sugar-Maple from the present
species.
»*** Pedicels in fascicles, evolved from lateral aggregated leafless buds: flowers
'preceding the leaves.
9. A. dasycarpum (Ehrh.) : leaves subcordate or often truncate at the
base (white beneath), deeply 5-lobed, with the sinuses rather obtuse; lobes
acute, unequally incised and toothed, entire towards the base ; pedicels short
and thick; petals none ; fruit tomentose when young, nearly glabrous when
old, with very large upwardly dilated somewhat diverging wings.— Ehrh.
beitr. 4. p. 24” ; Willd. sp. 4. p. 985; Nutt. I gen. 1. p. 252 ; Ell. sk. 1: p.
449; Torr.! fl. 1. p. 396; Hook. jl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 113. A. eriocarpum,
M ich x .! Jl. 2. p. 253 ; Desf. in ann. mus. 7. t. 25; Michx. f . sylv. 1 .1.40;
DC. prodr. 1. p. 595; Darlingt. Jl. Cest. ed, 2. p. 245.
Banks of rivers, Maine and Vermont! to the upper and middle parts of
Georgia! west to Lake Michigan and Arkansas; rare north of lat. 43° ; most
abundant in the Western States. March-April.—Trunk low, 2 (in the
Western States sometimes 8-9) feet in diameter: wood white and soft, not
durable: sap less sweet than that of the Sugar-Maple. Leaves on long petioles,
at first tomentose, finally glabrous, as broad as long; the lobes often
somewhat 3-lobed. Pedicels inflower 2-3 lines, in fruit an inch, long. Flowers
small, pale yellowish-purple. Stamens 3-6. Ovary with no glands at the
base. Wings of the fruit 2-3 inches long when mature, slightly falcate.
Seeds large. Embryo nearly straight, radicle very short.— While Maple.
Silver-leaved Maple. Soft Maple.
10. A. rubrum (Linn.) : leaves cordate (rarely truncate or rounded at the
base), whitish and at length mostly glabrous beneath, 3-5-lobed, with the sinuses
acute; lobes acute or acuminate, doubly serrate or incisely toothed,
the terminal one longest; pedicels at length elongated; petals oblong or linear;
fruit (and ovaries) glabrous, with small, at first arcuately converging,
at length slightly divergent wings.—Michx.! Jl. 2. p. 253; Willd. 1. c .;
Michx. f . sylv. 1 .1. 41; Ell. sk. 1. p. 449; Catesb. Car. 1. 1. 62; Hook. 1.
c .; Darlingt. 1. c. A. glaucum, Marsh, arbust. I A. Carolinianum, Walt.
Car. p. 251 ? A. coccineum, Michx. f. sylv. 1. p. 209. A. sanguineum,
Spach, t. c. p. ,176.
0.1 leaves smaller, 3-lobed, mostly truncate or rounded at the base, more
or less tomentose beneath; flowers greenish-yellow.—A. rubrum, var. Marsh.;
Darlingt. 1. c.
In swamps and on the marshy borders of streams, Canada! to Florida,
west to the sources of the Oregon (Douglas). 0. New Jersey ! and Pennsylvania!
to New Orleans! March-April.—Tree sometimes 60-80 fee
high, occasionally 3-4 feet in diameter; the wood close-grained; the fibres
often curled ; sap affording a little sugar: young branches red, clouded with
white. Leaves longer than broad, moderately 3-lobed, the lateral lobes usually
with 2 small ones at the base. Flowers small, bright purple or reddish,
on very short pedicels, which at length become filiform and pendulous. Stamens
5-6: anthers red. Disk lobed, glandular. Wings of the fruit about
an inch in length, at first reddish.—Red Maple. Swamp Maple.-^SThe var.
0. of which we have only met with imperfect specimens, may possibly prove
to be a distinct species. Judging from specimens in the herbarium of the
late Prof. Barton, it is apparently the A. barbatum of Pursh. The leaves
often scarcely exceed an inch and a half in length.
| Doubtful species.
11. A. barbatum (Michx.) : leaves with 3 short lobes, serrate; peduncles
of the staminate flowers branching, of the pistillate simple; calyx of the sta-
minate flowers densely bearded within ; wings of the fruit erect. Michx. A.
2. p. 252. t J
Carolina, Michaux. Flowers pale green, sometimes all staminate, sometimes
with perfect flowers intermixed. Michx:—This species, of which it is
remarkable that the younger Michaux makes no mention whatever, either in
his general observations or catalogue of North American Maples, has been
identified by no succeeding botanist except Pursh, who adds “ In deep pine
and cedar swamps, New-Jersey to Carolina; April-May. A small tree:
leaves small” But Pursh’s plant seems to be our 0. of A. rubrum; at least
specimens of A. rubrum, without fruit or flowers, exist in herb. Barton labelled,
apparently by Pursh, A. barbatum. The flowers and inflorescence of
this plant, however, do not at all agree with Michaux’s character. We suspect,
indeed, that the description of A. barbatum, Michx. was drawn up, at
least as to the flowers and fruit, from specimens of A. saccharinum; the only
species, so far as we are aware, which has the sepals bearded inside.
2. NEGUNDO. Moenchj Nutt. gen. 1. p. 253; DC. 1. c.
Negundium, Raf.
Flowers dioecious. Petals none. Pedicels of the staminate flowers capillary,
fascicled, froip lateral aggregated buds: fertile flowers in racemes.—