Acer nigrum

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Sapindales

Familia: Sapindaceae
Subfamilia: Hippocastanoideae
Tribus: Acereae
Genus: Acer
Species: Acer nigrum
Name

Acer nigrum F.Michx.
Synonyms

Acer saccharum subsp. nigrum (F.Michx.) Desmarais

References

Histr. arbr. forest. 2: 238, t. 16. 1812
Seeds and fruits of plants of eastern Canada and northeastern United States, FH Montgomery, UofT Press, 1977 ISBN 0-8020-5341-6

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Schwarz-Ahorn
English: Black Maple
français: Érable noir

Acer nigrum, the black maple, is a 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]

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 drooping appearance. Other differences that are not as pronounced include darker, more deeply grooved bark, slightly smaller seeds, a downy underside, 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

List of foods made from maple

References

Barstow, M.; Crowley, D. (2017). "Acer nigrum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T61961045A61961056. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T61961045A61961056.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Acer nigrum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team.
"Acer saccharum subsp. nigrum". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2017-12-20.
"Acer nigrum Range Map" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
"USDA Forest Service Guide to Black Maple". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 2014-08-24.