Sugar maple, black spruce and tamarack do not reproduce vegetatively from roots

Abstract

Recent silvical literature on sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] and tamarack [Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch], [also European black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) and boxelder [Acer negundo L.)] continues to refer, erroneously, to their reputed ability to reproduce vegetatively from root material. This error is the result of improper identification in the first place, subsequent uncritical evaluation, use of secondary rather than the original reference and reluctance to reject what is 'in the literature'.