RNR 2001 Chapter : Week Two Species
Document Summary
Leaves: opposite, simple, deciduous; 3-5 lobes, lobe tips acute, sinuses rounded; margins entire or wavy. Flower: dioecious, occasionally perfect flowers; small (1/8 ) bell-shaped, in drooping clusters; early spring. Fruit: double samara, 3/4"-1", brown, maturing in autumn. Bark: light gray and smooth on young trees; shallow furrows and platy on older trees. Form: medium-sized tree, 40-60" up to 2" diameter; slow growing understory species. Range: northwestern portion of southeast us coastal plain. Uses: harvested when obtaining commercial size; occasional ornamental; maple seed, in general, is used by song and game birds depending upon seed maturity; small mammals use browse, bark, buds; important squirrel food; good deer browse. 2 leaf with 3-5 lobes, entire margins, u-shaped sinuses. Note: considered to be a subspecies of sugar maple (acer saccharum), but it is a smaller tree with smaller leaves and its range has limited overlap with sugar maple. Leaves: alternate, deciduous; pinnately and bipinnately compound leaves.
