File:Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forestry), no. 11 (1901) (20315213319).jpg

Title: Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forestry), no. 11
Identifier: bulletinpennsylv11penx (find matches)
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Pennsylvania. Dept. of Forestry
Subjects: Forests and forestry
Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa. : The Department : WM. Stanley Ray, state printer of Pennsylvania
Contributing Library: Penn State University
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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I! f 1i ;- m RED MAPLE. Acer rubrum, Linnaeus. FORM—Usually a tree about 50 ft. high, but In a moist habitat sometimes attains a height of over 100 ft. with a diameter of 4 feet. When grown in the open it branches near the ground and forms a deep, broad, dense crown. Upper lateral branches are rather upright while lower ones are horizontal and slightly turned upwards at the end. BARK On branches and young trunks smooth and gray; on old trunks dark grayish, thick, shaggy, and roughened by long ridges which peel off in long plates. See Figs. (50 and Gl. TWIGS—Somewhat slender, glossy, at first green, later red, covered with numerous light lenticels. BUDS—Similar to those of the Silver Maple. See page 195. LEAVES—Opposite, simple, 3-5-lobed, coarsely-toothed, light green above, pale, green to whitish below, with rather shallow sharp-based sinuses. LEAF-SCARS—Opposite, U-shaped to V-shaped, not encircling stem. Bundle-scars 3, In a lunate line. FLOWERS Appear In March or April before the leaves are out, In dense sessile axillary clusters. Stamlnate and pistillate occur In different clusters, on the same or different trees. Petals present. FRtriT Matures In May or June; clustered and borne on drooping stems: wings of the keys usually less than 1 inch long, red to brown in color, at first convorgont but later divergent. WOOD—Diffuse-porous; rather soft, not strong, close-grained, light brown with wide light sapwood. Used for furniture, In turnery, and paper pulp. Weighs 38.5 lbs. per cubic foot. DISTINGDISHING CHARACTERISTICS—The Bed Maple, also known as Soft Maple, Swamp Maple, and White Maple, can be recognized In summer by Its simple, rather small, 3-5-lobed, coarsely-toothed leaves which are rarely silvery-white underneath, nnd have rather sliallow sharp-based sinuses. In winter it closely resembles the Silver Maple, but may be distinguished by its red lustrous twigs and the absence of a pungent odor, from broken twigs. In winter these two closely related species can be distinguished from the Sugar Maple by their numerous, round, red. collateral buds; from the Striped Marl<^ nnd tlie Mountain Maple by their larger size and the absence of stalked buds; from the Ash-leavM Maple by the absence of short-stalked downy buds and greenish twig covered with a whitish bloom. The European species, both Norway Maple and Sycamore Maple, have much larger buds and stouter twigs. RANGE—Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to Florida and Texas. DISTRIBUTIOK IN PENNSYLVANIA—Common locally throughout the State, especially In regions traversed by stream*? and in wet habitats. HABITAT—It prefers wet soil, often found In swamps b«it also frequents drier hillsides. Commonly found along rivers, creeks, lakes. In swamps, and as an undergrowth in the forest over extensive, and often rather hilly areas. IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES—The Red Maple produces a wood which at present Is of little commercial importance It may In time become more valuable. The despised species of to-day may be the prized species of to-morrow. It Is tolerant of shade and its chief future value In forestry may be in furnishing soil protection as a member of the under-story of the forest. It may play the same role in our future forest that Beech is playing to-day In the Intensively managed forests of Germany, only that it Is of less value for fuel.
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