Liquidambar

A tall, deciduous hardwood tree, also known as sweetgum, with 3 to 7 pointed leaves a little bit like maple. Native to the United States, but grown around the world for it's foliage, which is bright green in summer and turns through yellow to dark red and falls in winter. The branches are sturdy and grow at close intervals, making it a great climbing tree.

It has flowers like small green mulberries. The fruit are little brown spiky balls the size of squash balls. The spikes are not terribly sharp, but very uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet. The seeds are released from holes between the spikes.

Liq"uid*am`bar (?), n. [Liquid + amber.]

1. Bot.

A genus consisting of two species of tall trees having star-shaped leaves, and woody burlike fruit. Liquidambar styraciflua is the North American sweet qum, and L. Orientalis is found in Asia Minor.

2.

The balsamic juice which is obtained from these trees by incision. The liquid balsam of the Oriental tree is liquid storax.

 

© Webster 1913.