Acer glabrum
A western North American maple used in traditional medicine and crafts.
Acer glabrum is a species of maple native to western North America. Its range extends from southeastern Alaska and British Columbia south through several western states to California, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. This tree is notable for its use in traditional Native American medicine and crafts.
Quick Facts
- Species
- glabrum
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The foliage is browsed by game animals, especially deer and elk in winter, as well as cattle and sheep.
- Acer glabrum tends to be found in brush fields arising from fire-disturbed sites.
- Conifers tend to replace Acer glabrum in well-forested areas.
Description
Acer glabrum is a small tree reaching 6-9 m in height, occasionally 12 m, with a trunk about 13 cm in diameter, sometimes up to 25 cm. Its leaves are 2–13 cm broad, three-lobed (rarely five-lobed), with variable depth of lobing; some leaves are so deeply lobed they appear divided into three leaflets. The lobes have an acute apex and coarsely serrated margins. Yellowish-green flowers appear in corymbs of five to ten, emerging with the new leaves in spring. The fruit is a samara, developing in fused pairs at an angle of less than 45° when mature, though some varieties spread to 90°. Four to six varieties are recognized, some treated as subspecies by certain authors, including var. glabrum, var. diffusum, var. douglasii, var. greenei, var. neomexicanum, and var. torreyi.
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