Acer saccharinum L.
Silver maple, creek maple, river maple, silverleaf maple, soft maple, white maple, water maple
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Rosidae Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order Sapindales Includes citrus; maples, horse-chestnuts, lychees and rambutans; mangos and cashews; frankincense and myrrh; mahogany and neem
Family Sapindaceae Soapberry family
Genus Acer Maples
Species saccharinum I think this means “kind of sweet”—about half as sweet as sugar maple
About plant names...
Silver maple is a native of eastern North America.
Identification: Silver maples reach 49-82′ (15-25 m) in height, with
a maximum of 115′ (35 m). Bark is gray, smooth on younger trees, shaggy on older trees. Leaves are similar to those of the closely related red maple , but they are divided into narrower lobes, more deeply notched, and are silvery-white on the undersides.
They are about 3-6 ⨉ 2-4½″ (8-16 ⨉ 6-12 cm). In the fall, leaves remain green or turn greenish yellow,
sometimes with reddish tints. Several small greenish-yellow flower clusters occur
near the ends of twigs, spaced 1-3″ (2.5-7.6 cm) apart. As with other maples, fruits are winged pairs opposite
each other. These pairs are the largest of any maple, about 1¼″ (3.2 cm), forming an angle between about 45-90°.
Online References:
Wikipedia
The USDA Forest Service's Silvics of North America site
Plantdatabase.uconn.edu
The Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
References:
Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees , Alfred A. Knopf, 2009 , p. 336
7/23/2010 · Nashua River Boat Ramp on Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)
Female flowers. · 3/14/2012 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 3½ × 2½″ (9.8 × 6.6 cm) ID is uncertain
9/19/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm)
7/23/2010 · Nashua River Boat Ramp on Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)
Older scientific or horticultural names
Acer dasycarpum Ehrh.
Acer saccharinum L. var. laciniatum Pax
Acer saccharinum L. var. wieri Rehder
Argentacer saccharinum (L.) Small
Acer saccharinum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 6 Sep 2023.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
7/23/2010 · Nashua River Boat Ramp on Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm)
7/23/2010 · Nashua River Boat Ramp on Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm)
Female flowers. · 3/14/2012 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm) ID is uncertain
7/23/2010 · Nashua River Boat Ramp on Rte 119, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)
Female flowers. · 3/14/2012 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm) ID is uncertain
6/4/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)
6/30/2023 · Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Range:
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