Part 6

Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 5 inches long, nearly as broad or a little broader, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves sparsely and coarsely toothed, dark green and smooth on the upper surface, green or paler on the lower surface and usually smooth, or sometimes hairy on the veins; leafstalks up to 3 inches long, smooth and sometimes hairy. The leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow and orange in the autumn.

Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the same tree, in dense clusters, greenish-yellow, appearing as the leaves begin to unfold.

Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a wing with a seed at the base, greenish-yellow to brownish, up to 1 inch long.

Wood: Heavy, strong, close-grained, light brown.

Uses: Furniture, interior finishing, cabinets; maple sugar is derived from the sap; frequently grown as an ornamental.

Habitat: Moist woods.

Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to eastern Texas, east to northern Florida.

Distinguishing Features: Leaves of the Sugar Maple differ from those of the Black Maple and the Southern Sugar Maple by being flat, rather than drooping along the edges. {Sap differs from the Norway Maple, Acer platanoides, by being clear rather than milky.}

RED BUCKEYE Aesculus discolor Pursh

Growth Form: Small tree to 25 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 10 inches; crown rounded and spreading.

Bark: Gray to tan, smooth.

Twigs: Rather stout, gray to tan, smooth; leaf scars opposite, triangular, with 3 groups of bundle traces.

Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown, up to ½ inch long, not hairy, not sticky.

Leaves: Opposite, palmately compound, with 5 leaflets; leaflets elliptic to obovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and finely hairy on the lower surface.

Flowers: Numerous, red, in large clusters sometimes nearly 1 foot long, appearing in April.

Fruit: Spherical or punching-bag shaped, up to 2 inches across, light brown, not prickly, containing 1 or 2 light reddish-brown seeds.

Wood: Soft, close-grained, light in weight, pale brown.

Use: Sometimes grown as an ornamental because of its showy flowers.

Habitat: Rich woods.

Range: North Carolina across to Missouri, south to Texas, east to Georgia.

Distinguishing Features: The smooth fruits and the beautiful red flowers distinguish this species from other members of the genus in Illinois.

OHIO BUCKEYE Aesculus glabra Willd.

Growth Form: Medium tree to 55 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 15 inches; crown broadly rounded.

Bark: Gray to pale gray, deeply furrowed and roughened when mature.

Twigs: Stout, pale brown, smooth; leaf scars opposite, triangular, with 3 groups of bundle traces.

Buds: Ovoid, pointed, reddish-brown to yellowish, up to ⅔ inch long, not hairy, not sticky.

Leaves: Opposite, palmately compound, with 5 or 7 leaflets; leaflets obovate to oblanceolate, long-pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, green or much whitened on the lower surface.

Flowers: Numerous, yellow-green, in large clusters sometimes nearly 1 foot long, appearing in April and May, the petals of each flower of different lengths.