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''Acer glabrum'' is a species of
maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...
native to western North America, from southeastern
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
, British Columbia and western
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Terri ...
, east to western Nebraska, and south through
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, Oregon,
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
, Montana and
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to California, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.


Description

''Acer glabrum'' is a small tree growing to tall, exceptionally , with a trunk around in diameter, exceptionally around . The
leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...
are broad, three-lobed (rarely five-lobed), variable in the depth of lobing, occasionally so deeply lobed as to be divided into three leaflets; the lobes have an acute apex and a coarsely serrated margin. The flowers are produced in
corymb Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficial re ...
s of five to ten, yellowish-green, at the same time as the new leaves in spring. The fruit is a samara or winged seed, which develops in fused pairs at an angle of less than 45° when mature, though some varieties spread out to 90°.Plants of British Columbia
''Acer glabrum''
/ref>Jepson Flora Project
''Acer glabrum''var. ''diffusum''var. ''greenei''var. ''torreyi''
/ref>


Varieties

There are four to six varieties, some of them treated by some authors at the higher rank of subspecies:USDA Plants Profile
''Acer glabrum''
/ref> *''Acer glabrum'' var. ''glabrum'' (syn. subsp. ''glabrum''; Rocky Mountain maple)– Rocky Mountains, Montana to New Mexico *''Acer glabrum'' var. ''diffusum'' (Greene) Smiley (syn. subsp. ''diffusum'' (Greene) A.E.Murray; Rocky Mountain maple) – eastern California, Nevada, Utah *''Acer glabrum'' var. ''douglasii'' (Hook.) Dippel (syn. subsp. ''douglasii'' (Hook.) Wesm.; Douglas maple) – Alaska south to Washington and Idaho *''Acer glabrum'' var. ''greenei'' Keller (Greene's maple) – endemic-central California *''Acer glabrum'' var. ''neomexicanum'' (Greene) Kearney & Peebles (syn. subsp. ''neomexicanum'' (Greene) A.E.Murray; New Mexico maple) – New Mexico *''Acer glabrum'' var. ''torreyi'' (Greene) Smiley (syn. subsp. ''torreyi'' (Greene) A.E.Murray; Torrey maple) – endemic- Northern California


Distribution and habitat

''Acer glabrum'' is plentiful in many parts of the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
, Cascade Mountains, Olympic Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, often growing with ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and quaking aspen.USDA Forestry Service, Fire Effects Information
''Acer glabrum''
/ref> It can be found in dry rocky areas.


Ecology

It tends to be found in brush fields arising from fire-disturbed sites. Conifers tend to replace it in well-forested areas. The foliage is browsed by game animals (especially deer and elk in winter), cattle, and sheep.


Uses

Native Americans utilized the strong stems for snowshoe frames, bows, and other applications. Some Plateau Indian tribes drink an infusion of Douglas maple as a treatment for
diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...
. Ramah Navajo use an infusion of the glabrum variety for swellings, and also as a "life medicine", or
panacea In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art: * Panacea (the goddess of univers ...
.


References


Further reading

*


External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q540650 glabrum Trees of the Western United States Trees of Western Canada Plants described in 1827 Plants used in traditional Native American medicine