E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia


	Acer macrophyllum Pursh bigleaf maple; Oregon maple Aceraceae (Maple Family) Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Acer macrophyllum
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Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.

Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of BC

General:
Large, deciduous, spreading tree up to 30 m tall; branches greenish barked, smooth; older bark greyish-brown, ridged and often covered with lichens and mosses.

Leaves:
Opposite, 10-30 cm wide, deeply 5-lobed, tips abruptly sharp-pointed, dark green above and paler green below, turning yellow in fall, stalks with milky juice when cut.

Flowers:
Inflorescence racemose with male and female flowers on the same plant; numerous on short stalks, appearing with or before the leaves; petals greenish-white,

Fruits:
Winged, in pairs, 3-6 cm long, yellowish-brown, hairy, pairs attached in a V-shape.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Flower Colour:
Yellow

USDA Blooming Period:
Mid Spring

USDA Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall

Source: The USDA

Identification and Taxonomic Notes

TAXONOMIC KEY TO ACER

1. Leaves pinnately compound; petals absent A. negundo

1. Leaves simple, palmately lobed; petals usually present.

2. Flowers 10-50; inflorescence racemose or in panicles; trees up to 30 m tall.

3. Leaves grey, white or purplish below, the stalks without milky juice when cut; inflorescence in long, hanging panicles; fruits glabrous A. pseudoplatanus

3. Leaves green below, the stalks with milky juice when cut; inflorescence racemose or in stiff, more or less erect panicles; fruits glabrous or hairy.

4. Leaves lobed beyond the middle, the tips abruptly sharp-pointed; inflorescence racemose; fruits hairy A. macrophyllum

4. Leaves not lobed beyond the middle, the tips bristlelike; inflorescence in stiff, more or less erect panicles; fruits glabrous A. platanoides

2. Flowers usually less than 10; inflorescence umbellate or corymbose; plants usually shrublike and less than 10 m tall.

5. Leaves 3- to 5-lobed, glabrous to sparsely glandular short-hairy; sepals green A. glabrum

5. Leaves 7- to 9-lobed, soft-hairy beneath and often hairy above; sepals red A. circinatum

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Acer macrophyllum

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2008)

Site Information	Value / Class
Site Information	Average	Minimum	Maximum
Elevation (metres)	193	0	880
Slope Gradient (%)	24.3	0	120
Aspect (degrees) [0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]	177.6	10	360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric]	4.0	0	7
Modal Nutrient Regime Class	Rich
Number of field plots species was recorded in:	243
Modal BEC Zone Class	CWH
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in	AT(1), CDF(11), CWH(215), IDF(16)
Source: Klinkenberg 2010

Ecological Indicator Information

A shade-intolerant, submontane to montane, Western North American deciduous broadleaved tree distributed more in the Pacific than the Cordilleran region. Occurs in maritime to submaritime cool mesothermal climates on fresh to very moist, nitrogen-rich soils (Moder and Mull humus forms). Its occurrence decreases with increasing elevation, latitude, and continentality. Common in pure or mixed-species stands (usually with red alder or black cottonwood) on alluvial, seepage, and stream-edge sites; occasional on water-shedding sites; dominant in primary succession on fragmental colluvial soils. This fast -growing tree regenerates abundantly from stump sprouts in clearings, thus hindering regeneration and growth of conifers. Its calcium-rich bark supports well developed corticolous moss communities. Characteristic of young-seral forests.

Source: Indicator Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Information applies to coastal locations only)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is cool mesothermal.

Habitat / Range

Moist to mesic forests and open slopes in the lowland and montane zones; common in SW BC west of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; S to CA, disjunct in ID.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of BC

Status Information

Provincial Status: S5
BC Status (Red Blue List): Yellow
COSEWIC Status: Not listed
Origin Status: species native to B.C.

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer , the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the Missouri Botanical Garden
Vascular Plant Type Database, New York Botanical Gardens
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
Burke Museum of Natural History: Range and Status
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Burke Museum of Natural History's Image Collection
UBC Herbarium Scanned Collection Record
Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

Related Databases

Fire Effects Information Database (USDA)

FDA Poisonous Plant Database

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2013. 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. [Accessed: 5/22/2013 12:41:29 AM ]

Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.

E-Flora BC: An initiative of the Spatial Data Lab, Department of Geography UBC, and the UBC Herbarium.