MAPLE, the name given to trees of the botanical genus Acer (fam. Aceraceae), comprising about 150 species native chiefly to north temperate regions. Maples have opposite, long stalked, mostly palmately lobed leaves. The flowers are in fasci cles appearing before the leaves, as in the Norway maple ; or in corymbs, with the leaves, as in the sugar maple or in racemes, after the leaves, as in the sycamore maple. The fruit is a two winged samara. (See FRUIT.) The common or small maple (A. campestris), of northern Europe and Asia, is the only species native to Great Britain. It grows usually less than 20 ft. high, with leaves about 2 in. broad. The compact, fine-grained wood has been used since ancient times for making tables.
The sycamore or great maple (A. Pseudo-Platanus), native to central Europe and western Asia and naturalized in Great Britain, is a handsome tree, 7o ft. high, with leaves 4 in. to 8 in. broad. The hard wood, which takes a high polish, is valued in turnery. The Norway maple (A. platanoides), native to Europe and west ern Asia and introduced into Great Britain in 1683, is a lofty tree, sometimes 100 ft. high, resembling the sycamore maple. Many ornamental varieties are in cultivation, especially the handsome var. Schwedleri.
In North America there are 13 native species of maple; nine are found east of the Great Plains, two occur in the Rocky Mountain region, and two are confined to the Pacific coast. The eastern maples consist of the hard or sugar maples, the soft maples, the mountain maples, and the box-elder.
The sugar, hard or rock maple (A. saccharum), highly valued as a timber and shade tree and the chief source of maple sugar (q.v.), grows from Newfoundland to South Dakota and south ward to South Carolina and Texas, sometimes attaining a height of 120 ft. and a trunk diameter of 4 feet. The heavy, hard, very strong wood is extensively utilized, the varieties known as bird's-eye, curly and wavy maple being highly prized for cabinet work and finishings. The very similar black maple (A. nigrum), of more restricted range, is likewise very valuable. The southern
sugar maple (A. floridanum) and the white-bark maple (A. leu coderme) are small trees of the southern States.
The soft maples include the white or silver maple (A. sacchari num), with the leaves white below, and the red or swamp maple (A. rubrum), with dull red flowers in spring and flame-red foliage in autumn. Both are common trees, similar in size to the sugar maple and of nearly the same geographical range. They furnish soft-wood lumber and are widely planted for ornament. The mountain maple (A. spicatum) and the striped maple or moose wood (A. pennsylvanicum) are small late-flowering trees of north ern range but extending southerly in the mountains. The box elder or ash-leaved maple (A. Negundo), a small tree with leaves of 3 to 5 leaflets, grows along streams from Vermont to Alberta and south to Florida and Arizona. The California box-elder (var. californicum), with leaves of 3 leaflets, occurs in the Sacramento valley and southward.
The bigtooth maple (A. grandidentatum) and the dwarf maple (A. glabrum) are small trees of the Rocky Mountain region, the latter extending to northern California and Oregon and its variety (var. Douglasii) to Alaska. The bigleaf maple (A. macrophyl lum), a valuable timber tree, sometimes 100 ft. high, with leaves 4 in. to 1 o in. broad, occurs near the coast from southern Cali fornia to Alaska. The highly ornamental vine maple (A. circi natum), usually a small tree, but sometimes vine-like or pros trate, is found from northern California to British Columbia.
The total cut of maple lumber in the United States in 1925 was 921,566,000 bd.ft., valued at the mill at $35,106,956, chiefly sugar maple and silver maple, with small quantities of red and bigleaf maple. In 1936 the cut was 490,000,000 bd.ft., valued at $15,517,000.
See C. S. Sargent, Manual of the Trees of North America (1905, 2nd ed. 1922) ; G. B. Sudworth, "Check List of the Forest Trees of the United States," U.S. Dept. Agric. Misc. Cir. 92 (1927) ; L. H. Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture (1914-27) and Manual of Cultivated Plants (1924).