Acer macrophyllum
Acer macrophyllum | |
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Bigleaf maple foliage | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Sapindaceae |
Genus: | Acer |
Section: | Acer sect. Macrophylla |
Species: | A. macrophyllum
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Binomial name | |
Acer macrophyllum Pursh 1813
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Natural range | |
Synonyms | |
List
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Acer macrophyllum, the bigleaf maple
Description
Bigleaf maple can grow up to 48 metres (158 feet) tall,[4][5] but more commonly reaches 15–20 m (50–65 ft) tall and 90–120 centimetres (35–47 inches).[6] The species' current national champion for size is located in Lane County, Oregon. It is 36 m (119 ft) tall with a crown spread of 28 m (91 ft), with an average diameter at breast height (dbh) of about 3.7 m (12 ft).[7] The previous national champion is located in Marion, Oregon, and is 27 m (88 ft) tall with a crown spread of 32 m (104 ft), with an average dbh of about 2.5 m (8 ft). The bark is gray brown, darkening and developing ridges with age.[6]
The bigleaf maple has the largest
In May 2018 the oldest two Oregon maples in Europe, 175 years old, were removed from Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland. The first had an interior which was beginning to rot, and it fell after inclement windy weather. The second, also infected, was cut down as the same fate was expected. Both were in the adjoining grassy area which was originally the cemetery of All Hallows and is now the Front Square of TCD.[12]
Chemistry
The fallen leaves, blossoms, and seeds are concentrated with potassium, calcium, and other nutrients.[6]
Distribution and habitat
Bigleaf maple mostly occurs near North America's
It usually grows from sea level to elevations of 450 m (1,480 ft), and more exceptionally 1,200 m (3,900 ft).
Ecology
The tree can live in a wide range of habitats, but thrives in fairly well-hydrated hardwood forests, occurring with
Insects fertilize the tree's flowers.[6] The winged fruits are eaten by squirrels, and by grosbeaks in the winter.[19] Deer mice have been observed consuming bigleaf maple seeds in the spring in the Sierra Nevada. The foliage is browsed by ungulates such as black-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and horses, as well as by mountain beavers and other rodents.[20][21] A western Oregon study found that 60% of bigleaf maple seedlings over 25 cm (10 in) tall had been browsed by deer, most several times.[22]
Bigleaf maple is preferred as habitat by the barred owl, an invasive species to coast range habitat, and the presence of the tree is positively associated with Hammond's flycatchers.[20]
In the wetter parts of its range, such as in the Olympic National Park and lowland forest around Puget Sound, the bark is often covered with epiphytes such as club moss and licorice fern.[10]
Older trees suffer from heart rot.[6]
Cultivars
Cultivars are plants sourced and/or bred for specific characteristics that are deemed to be attractive and/or commercializable to the mainstream public. Given the opportunity, cultivars will near-universally cross with their native counterparts, which brings a risk of contamination to local genetic stock that can be a challenge to identify. Examples of cultivars include:
- 'Mocha Rose' — foliage in various shades of pink over growing season; red flowers[23]
- 'Santiam Snows' — green leaves speckled with white[24]
- 'Seattle Sentinel' — upright, columnar plant habit[25]
Uses
Native Americans grew sprouts from the seeds for consumption,
Maple syrup has been made from the sap of bigleaf maple trees.[27] While the sugar concentration is about the same as in Acer saccharum (sugar maple), the flavor is somewhat different. Interest in commercially producing syrup from bigleaf maple sap has been limited.[28] Although not traditionally used for syrup production, it takes about 40 volumes of sap to produce 1 volume of maple syrup.
Lumber
The bigleaf maple is the only commercially important maple of the Pacific Coast region.[14]
The wood is primarily used in
In California, land managers do not highly value bigleaf maples, and they are often intentionally knocked over and left unharvested during harvests for
Gallery
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Acer macrophyllum in early spring
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The 10–15-centimetre (4–6-inch)-long raceme of greenish-yellow flowers appear as the leaves are developing in the spring.
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Moss and Licorice fern on Bigleaf maple in Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park, Washington
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Bigleaf maple in the McKenzie River valley in western Oregon
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"WORLD'S LARGEST BIGLEAF MAPLE" IN ENGLISH CAMP onSan Juan Island, Washington
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Fallen Acer macrophyllum leaf in fall near Cashmere, Washington
References
- . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ a b USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Acer macrophyllum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ Vaden, M. D. "World's Tallest Maple Discovery of 2012".
- ^ Poor, Kasi (2012-11-06). "The tall tale of 'Humboldt Honey' -- tree hunter says world's tallest maple is in Humboldt Redwoods State Park". Times-Standard. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
- ^ OCLC 1141235469.
- ^ "Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)". National Register of Big Trees. American Forests. 15 September 2016.
- ^ a b Giblin, David, ed. (2015). "Acer macrophyllum". WTU Herbarium Image Collection. Burke Museum, University of Washington. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
- ^ a b Whittemore, Alan T. (2012). "Acer macrophyllum". In Jepson Flora Project (ed.). Jepson eFlora. The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
- ^ a b c d "Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) | Oregon Wood Innovation Center". owic.oregonstate.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- ^ a b Klinkenberg, Brian, ed. (2014). "Acer macrophyllum". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Archived from the original on 2015-02-08. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
- ^ "Stress the likely cause of tree death in Trinity College, says expert". The Irish Times.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Steven. K. (2015). "Acer macrophyllum". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
- ^ a b Fryer, Janet L. (2011). "Acer macrophyllum". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
- ^ Wilson, Bert (2014). "Mixed Evergreen Forest". Nature of California. Las Pilitas Nursery.
- ^ "Trees of Prince Rupert" (blog). 2010.
- ^ "Trees Near Their Limits -- Alaska" (blog). 2010.
- ^ "Acer macrophyllum". www.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- Bonanza Books. pp. 606–07.
- ^ a b "Acer macrophyllum". www.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ Fowells, H. A., ed. (1965). Silvics of forest trees of the United States. Agric. Handb. 271. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.
- doi:10.1139/x88-189.
- ^ "Mocha Rose Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose') at GardenWorks".
- ^ "Japanese Maples - Acer macrophyllum 'Santiam Snows'".
- ^ "Acer macrophyllum 'Seattle Sentinel' | Landscape Plants | Oregon State University". landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- ISBN 0-394-73127-1.
- ^ Ruth, Robert H.; Underwood; J. Clyde; Smith, Clark E.; Yang, Hoya Y. (1972). "Maple sirup production from bigleaf maple" (PDF). PNW-181. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station.
- ^ "Maple syrup" (PDF). Island Net. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2006.
- ^ Bolsinger, Charles L. (1988). "The hardwoods of California's timberlands, woodlands, and savannas". Resource Bulletin PNW-RB-148. Portland, OR: United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
External links
- Media related to Acer macrophyllum at Wikimedia Commons
- Calflora
- "Acer macrophyllum". Plants for a Future.
- photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Yolo County, California, in 1903
- Jepson Manual