Download Sweet Gum - Herrin High School

Liquidambar styraciflua L.
Classification
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Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Superdivision: Spermatophyta
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Hamamelidadae
Order: Hamamelidales
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Genus: Liquidambar L.
Species: Liquidambar styraciflua
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
Bark
 The bark of a sweet gum has irregular ridges and
furrows. It is generally a grayish-brown color.
Figure 2
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.