Scientific name:
Acer macrophyllum General: Large, often multi-stemmed, to 35 m tall; young bark, green and smooth, older bark grey-brown, ridged, and often covered with mosses, lichens and ferns.
Leaves: Opposite, deciduous, 5-lobed maple leaves, 15-30 cm across, dark green above, paler below, turning yellow in the autumn; leaf stalk exudes milky juice when cut.
Flowers: Greenish-yellow, about 3 mm across; numerous on short stalks in a hanging cylindrical cluster; appear with or before the leaves.
Fruits: Golden-brown, paired, winged seeds ('samaras'), 3-6 cm long; wings spread in a V-shape.
Ecology: Dry to moist sites, often with Douglas Fir, often on sites disturbed by fire, clearing or logging; at low to middle elevations.