‘Whirligigs’? What did you call these as a kid? by rhoing

‘Whirligigs’? What did you call these as a kid?

The "fruit" of a maple tree in our neighborhood, where I think we have at least three different species of maple,
• Acer japonica
»» http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-04-06
»» http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-11-15
»» http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-04-26
• Acer rubrum
»» http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-03-23
• Acer saccharinum

This one is Acer saccharinum, or "Silver maple." From Missouri Botanical Garden, » “Acer saccharinum commonly known as silver maple gets its name from the silvery undersides of its leaves. This is one of the largest deciduous trees native to Missouri, typically growing to 50-80’ (less frequently to 100’) tall with a rounded open spreading crown. It is native to eastern and central North America where it typically occurs in moist to wet, sometimes mucky, often poorly drained soils on floodplains, along the edges of streams and rivers and in low woods. It is a fast-growing, somewhat graceful tree that formerly was a very popular urban landscape selection for lawns and streets, but has more recently fallen somewhat out of favor because of the proclivity of its weak-wooded limbs to split when stressed by high winds or ice/snow. Polygamous greenish yellow flowers bloom in clusters in early spring (March) before the foliage. Flowers give way to paired samaras (to 2" long) that mature in late spring. Bark is gray to brownish gray. Mature tree trunks and limbs develop a shaggy appearance as the bark develops long thin flaky scales that exfoliate at the ends. Deeply 5-lobed light green leaves (to 6" across) have silvery undersides. Fall color is usually unremarkable. Tree sap is sweet, hence the species name which comes from the Latin word for sugar, but syrups made therefrom are greatly inferior to those made from sugar maple (Acer saccharum).
“Genus name of Acer is the Latin name for a maple tree.
“Specific epithet means sugary in reference to the sweet sap.”

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/taxpage/0/0/79/binomial/Acer%20saccharinum.html

1 year ago (“Sunny”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-04-12
2 years ago (“Purple heart”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-04-12
3 years ago (“Pink swirls in green”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-04-12
4 years ago (“What a Diff’rence a Day Makes’!”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-04-12

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