Acer nigrum

Acer nigrum (black maple) is an species of maple closely related to A. saccharum (sugar maple), and treated by some authors as a subspecies of it, as Acer saccharum subsp. nigrum.[2][3]

Black maple

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Sapindales
Family:
Sapindaceae
Genus:
Acer
Species:
A. nigrum
Binomial name
Acer nigrum
Acer nigrum natural range

Identification can be confusing due to the tendency of the two species to form hybrids. The simplest and most accurate method for distinguishing between the two trees is the generally three-lobed leaves of the black maple versus the generally five-lobed leaves of the sugar maple. The leaves of the black maple also tend to have a "droopy" appearance. Other differences that are not as pronounced include darker, more deeply grooved bark, slightly smaller seeds, and thicker petioles. Hybrids are intermediate in their characteristics.

Distribution

The geographic range of A. nigrum is slightly more limited than the sugar maple, encompassing much of the Midwestern United States, portions of the Eastern United States, and the southeast of Canada in southern Ontario.[4]

Description
Illustration from 1913's Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada

The black maple's mature height ranges from 21 to 34 meters (70 to 110 feet).[5]

Uses

This species is used similarly to the A. saccharum, for timber as hard maple, for landscaping, and for maple syrup production.

See also

References
  1. "Acer nigrum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019. 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. "Acer nigrum". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA.
  3. "Acer saccharum subsp. nigrum". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  4. "Acer nigrum Range Map" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  5. "USDA Forest Service Guide to Black Maple". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
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