Some of the subspecies of Acer saccharum recognized by the World Flora Online (WFO)
- subsp. floridanum (Florida Maple); native to Florida, occurs primarily in the panhandle, with small, isolated populations in Central Florida.
- similar to subsp. leucoderme, but subsp. floridanum is a larger tree with larger leaves, leaf lobes are squarer and blunter, underside of leaves is whitish rather than yellow-green
- subsp. grandidentatum (Bigtooth Maple); native range from Wyoming to Utah and south to New Mexico and northern Mexico.
- typically grows shorter (shrublike in some environments and climates) and its leaves are smaller with blunt teeth, often only with 3 lobes, if 5 lobes, the tow lower ones are small
- subsp. leucoderme (Chalk Maple); native range from North Carolina, south to northwestern Florida and west to eastern Texas.
- small tree, often with multiple trunks, smooth and thin chalky white bark, or light gray on mature trees
- subsp. nigrum (Black Maple); large native range, it extends from New England, New York southern Quebec and Ontario, west to lower portions of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota; south to Iowa and east all the way to Pennsylvania, and into New Jersey and Maryland and southeast to West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
- petiole and underside of leaves are pubescent (with hairs), in A. saccharum these parts lack hairs
A suggestion, do not think that using the criteria listed above will provide you with accurate, trouble-free identification of these subspecies and separating them from Acer saccharum. They are starting guides but not a sure thing.