GROUP V. THE HORSECHESTNUT, ASH AND MAPLE

How to tell them from other trees: The horsechestnut, ash, and maple
have their branches and buds arranged on their stems *opposite* each
other as shown in Figs. 20, 22 and 24. In other trees, this
arrangement is *alternate*, as shown in Fig. 19.

How to tell these three from each other. If the bud is large--an inch to
an inch and a half long--dark brown, and _sticky_, it is a
_horsechestnut_.

If the bud is _not sticky_, much smaller, and _rusty brown to black_
in color, and the ultimate twigs, of an olive green color, are
_flattened_ at points below the buds, it is an _ash_.

[Illustration: FIG. 19.--Alternate Branching (Beech.)]

If it is not a horsechestnut nor an ash and its small buds have
many scales covering them, the specimen with branches and buds
opposite must then be a _maple_. Each of the maples has one
character which distinguishes it from all the other maples. For the
sugar maple, this distinguishing character is the _sharp point of
the bud_. For the silver maple it is the _bend in the terminal
twig_. For the red maple it is the _smooth gray-colored bark_. For
the Norway maple it is the _reddish brown color of the full, round
bud_, and for the box elder it is the _greenish color of its
terminal twig_.

The form of the tree and the leaves are also characteristic in each