Liquidambar genus
Liquidambar styraciflua
'Moraine'
American sweetgum
Charles - W11th
W11th - W12th Pier 26 galleries |
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass Hamamelididae Order Hamamelidales Family Hamamelidaceae – Witch-hazel family Genus Liquidambar L. – sweetgum Species Liquidambar styraciflua L. – sweetgum |
Red Gum (contrast with Black Gum)
liquid = liquidus (L) = "fluid" ambar = ambar (Arabic) = "amber" styraciflua = flowing with styrax (a plant resin) |
Native to Eastern US
Salt spray tolerance moderate |
Dried resinous sap may be chewed as an aromatic bitter gum ("sweet" only in contrast to "sour" of Black Tupelo, Black Gum, Sour Gum)
Sap also used in incense and perfumes Leaves and twigs fragrant when crushed Branchlets with corky ridges |
Tree / Buds / Bark
Foliage (Leaf Gallery)
Leaves
|
Flowers, male
Staminate (male) flowers
Raceme
|