Sweet Gum

1. Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua L.

2. Classification • Kingdom: Plantae • Subkingdom: Tracheobionta • Superdivision: Spermatophyta • Division: Magnoliophyta • Class: Magnoliopsida • Subclass: Hamamelidadae • Order: Hamamelidales • Family: Hamamelidaceae • Genus: Liquidambar L. • Species: Liquidambar styraciflua

3. Shape, Form, Type • Sweet gums have a straight trunk with a pyramidal crown, especially when they are young. Because they grow to around eighty feet tall, they are considered medium-sized trees. Figure 1

4. Bark • The bark of a sweet gum has irregular ridges and furrows. It is generally a grayish-brown color. Figure 2

5. Twig • The twigs on sweet gums can be anywhere from shiny green to a yellow-brown color. They are generally relatively smooth with spots of cork-like growth on the outside. This occurs mainly during periods of rapid growth. Figure 3

6. Leaf • Leaves are simple and alternate. They are palmately veined, have five to seven lobes, and the margins are finely serrated. They are usually between four and six inches across and are a shiny green on top. When crushed, they are aromatic. Figure 4

7. Bud • Terminal buds are usually large and sticky when touched. They are covered in scales that range from green to an orange-brown. Figure 5

8. Flower • Female flowers are on a thin stalk and a globose head, while males have an upright racame. They are monoecious, small, and a bright yellow-green. They usually appear in early to mid-spring. Figure 6

9. Fruit • The fruit of sweet gums are brown spherical clusters known as gumballs. They are one to one and a half inches in diameter and mature in autumn. Each capsule releases two seeds per year. Figure 7

10. Habitat and Range • Sweet gums are most commonly found in the eastern half of the United States and parts of California. They are generally found in valleys and low, sloped areas with moist soil. Figure 8

11. Uses • Sweet gums have been used since the time of the Aztecs for balsam made from the sap and also for incense or combined with tobacco to help sleep. They are also used for lumber and landscaping. Figure 9

12. References • Figure References: • Figures 1-4, 7 Sweetgum. (2010). Retrieved June 22, 2010 from Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech: http://www.cnr.vt.edu/​dendro/​dendrology/​syllabus/​factsheet.cfm?id=53. • Figure 5 Saylor, J. (2009). Jesse Saylor's Plants. Retrieved June 22, 2010 from Michigan State University, Michigan State University Plant Encyclopedia: http://www.saylorplants.com/​images/​liquidambar/​liquistyr_ht18_jan10_med.jpg. • Figure 6 Sweetgum. (2010). Retrieved June 22, 2010 from Florida State College at Jacksonville: http://web.fccj.org/​~dbyres/​sweetgum/​sweetgumfl.jpg. • Figures 8,9: Liquidambar styraciflua L. (2010). Retrieved June 22, 2010 from United States Department of Agriculture, PLants Profile: http://plants.usda.gov/​java/​profile?symbol=list2. • Informational References: • Liquidambar styraciflua L. (2010). Retrieved June 22, 2010 from United States Department of Agriculture, PLants Profile: http://plants.usda.gov/​java/​profile?symbol=list2. • Sweetgum. (2010). Retrieved June 22, 2010 from Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech: http://www.cnr.vt.edu/​dendro/​dendrology/​syllabus/​factsheet.cfm?id=53. • Sweet gum. (2001). Retrieved June 22, 2010 from VIrginia Tech, Non-timber Forest Products: http://www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu/​factsheets/​sweetgum.pdf.