Manitoba maple

Leaves

Form

• Pinnately compound
• Leaflets often asymmetrical
• Neoformed leaves with 3–9 leaflets on central stock
• Preformed leaves only have 3 leaflets
• Hairless

Length

• 5–12 cm

Colour

• Upper surface light green
• Lower surface greyish-green

Autumn colour

• Yellow

Margin

• Irregular, especially on neoformed leaves
• Leaflets shallowly and irregularly coarsely toothed or lobed

Buds

Form

• Terminal bud present, ovoid, blunt
• 2 or 3 pairs of scales coated with fine hairs
• Lateral buds located within the base of the leaf stalk pressed against the twig
• Leaf scars V-shaped, margins meet around the twig

Length

• Terminal bud 3–8 mm

Colour

• Brownish-green or purple
• Hairs white

Twigs

Form

• Hairless, shiny
• Moderately stout
• Often covered with a waxy powder

Colour

• Greenish-purple or brown

Flowers

Form

• Small
• Without petals
• Pollen flowers on slender single stalks in lateral bundles (fascicles)
• Seed flowers in loose drooping clusters with a central stem (racemes)

Colour

• Sepals pale green

Structure

• Dioecious

Floral timing

• With or before the leaves

Fruits

Form

• Keys in drooping clusters
• Wings incurved
• Angle between wings usually less than 45°
• Seedcase elongated, wrinkled

Length

• Wings 30–50 mm

Structure

• Samara
• In joined pairs

Bark

Form

• Smooth, with age becoming furrowed into narrow firm ridges

Colour

• Light greyish-brown, with age becoming darker

Wood

Texture

• Moderately light, soft, weak

Size

Height

• To 20 m

Diameter

• To 75 cm

Maximum age

• 60 years

Tree form

Forest-grown

Trunk

• Undivided portion of the trunk sometimes long, straight

Open-grown

Trunk

• Dividing near the ground
• Limbs few, long, spreading, rather crooked
• Branching irregular

Crown

• Broad, uneven

Root system

• Shallow, fibrous
• In deep soils, sometimes with a taproot

Habitat

Site

• Lakeshores and stream banks
• Seasonally flooded sites
• Disturbed sites

Light tolerance

• Intolerant of shade