Acer glabrum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acer glabrum |
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| A. glabrum subsp. douglasii, Olympic National Forest | |
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A. glabrum
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| Acer glabrum Torr. 1827
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List
Acer barbatum Hook. 1831 not Michx. 1803
Acer neomexicanum Greene Acer torreyi Greene Acer tripartitum Nutt. |
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Acer glabrum is a type of maple tree. It's often called the Rocky Mountain Maple or Douglas Maple. This tree grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from southeastern Alaska down to California, Arizona, and New Mexico. It also grows east into British Columbia, Alberta, and Nebraska.
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What Does the Rocky Mountain Maple Look Like?
The Rocky Mountain Maple is usually a small tree. It can grow up to 10 meters (about 33 feet) tall. Its trunk can be 20 to 30 centimeters (about 8 to 12 inches) wide.
Its leaves are 2 to 10 centimeters (about 1 to 4 inches) wide. They usually have three lobes, but sometimes five. The lobes can be cut deeply or not so deeply. Sometimes, they are so deeply cut that they look like three separate leaflets. The tips of the lobes are pointed, and their edges are rough and jagged.
The tree's flowers grow in clusters of five to ten. They are yellowish-green. These flowers appear in the spring at the same time as the new leaves. The fruit of the maple is a samara, which is a winged seed. These seeds grow in pairs and form an angle of less than 45 degrees when they are fully grown.
Different Kinds of Rocky Mountain Maple
There are several different types, or varieties, of Acer glabrum. Some people call them subspecies. Here are a few of them:
- Acer glabrum var. glabrum (also known as Rocky Mountain maple) – This variety is found in the Rocky Mountains, from Montana to New Mexico.
- Acer glabrum var. diffusum – You can find this type in eastern California, Nevada, and Utah.
- Acer glabrum var. douglasii (also known as Douglas maple) – This variety grows from Alaska south to Washington and Idaho.
- Acer glabrum var. greenei (Greene's maple) – This type is found only in central California.
- Acer glabrum var. neomexicanum (New Mexico maple) – This variety grows in New Mexico.
- Acer glabrum var. torreyi (Torrey maple) – This type is found only in Northern California.
Where Does the Rocky Mountain Maple Grow?
The Rocky Mountain Maple is very common in many parts of the Rocky Mountains. It often grows alongside other trees like Ponderosa Pine, Douglas-fir, and Quaking Aspen.
How Is the Rocky Mountain Maple Used?
The leaves of the Rocky Mountain Maple are eaten by wild animals like deer and elk. Farm animals such as cattle and sheep also eat them.
Some Plateau Indian tribes used parts of the Douglas maple. They would make a special drink from it to help with stomach problems. The Ramah Navajo people also used a type of Acer glabrum to help with swelling. They also used it as a "life medicine," which means a general remedy for many health issues.
See also
In Spanish: Acer glabrum para niños
