CHAP. XXII. ACERA‘CER®. ACER, 405 
they are gathered by hand, or by shaking the tree, when the keys begin to turn 
brown. The maturity of the seed may be proved by opening the key, and ob- 
serving if the cotyledons are green, succulent, and fresh; if the green colour 
of the cotyledons is wanting, the seeds are good for nothing. The seeds of 
all the species may either be sown in autumn, after they are gathered, or in 
spring: and the latter method is preferable where moles abound, as they are 
very fond of the seeds. Sown in spring, they come up in five or six weeks af- 
terwards, with the exception of those of the A. campéstre, which never come 
up till the second or third year. The seeds should not be covered with more 
than from a quarter to half an inch of soil. The surface of the ground in 
which they are sown may be advantageously shaded with leaves, fronds of 
firs, heath, or straw. 
The genera which compose this order are three, Acer, Negéndo, and Dobinea; 
and the species in cultivation in Britain are of the two former genera, which 
are thus contradistinguished in Don’s Mill., i. p. 647. 
A‘cer L. Flowers polygamous, Calyx 5-lobed. Stamens 7—9, rarely 5. 
Leaves simple, usually lobed. 
NeEGu’NDO Mench. Flowers dicecious. Calyx unequally 4—5-toothed. 
Anthers 4—5, linear, sessile. Leaves pinnate. 
Genus I. 
lygamia Monee‘cia. 
Identification. Lin. Gen., No. 1115.; Mecench. Meth.,334.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 593.; Don’s Mill., 1. 
p. 648. ; 
Synonymes. E’rable, Fr.; Ahorn, Ger. ; Acero, Ital.; and Arce, Spanish. 
Derivation. From acer, hard or sharp, derived from ac, Celtic, a point. The name is supposed to be 
applied to this genus because the wood of some species is extremely hard, and was formerly much 
sought after for the purpose of making pikes and lances. 
Gen. Char., §c. Sexes hermaphrodite, or monceciously polygamous. Flowers 
with a calyx and corolla. Calyx divided into 5 parts, or some number be- 
tween 4and 9. Petals the same in number. Stamens 8, or some number 
between 5 and 12. Anthers 2-lobed. Carpels 2, very rarely 3, each a 
samara; that is, a fruit which is called, in England, vernacularly, a key.— 
Leaves lobed and toothed, or, rarely, neither lobed nor toothed. Flowers 
generally yellow, with more or less of green blended with the yellow; red 
in A. rubrum: not individually conspicuous, but interesting in the kinds 
that flower at leafing time, from their number, from the rarity of flowers 
generally at that season, and from the enlivening effect of the numerous 
bees, and other insects, that attend them. The tips of the wings of the 
samaree of several of the species are of a light red, in England, at the end. 
of summer, and in autumn. The species are middle-sized, or low decidu- 
ous trees, natives of Europe, North America, and, some, of the Himalayas. 
They are, in general, quite hardy in Britain, and most of them ripen seeds 
in this country, by which they are readily propagated. They are among the 
most ornamental trees of artificial plantations, on account of the great 
beauty and variety of their foliage, which changes to a fine scarlet, or rich 
yellow, in autumn. The larger-growing species are often many years be- 
fore they come into flower, and, after they do so, they sometimes flower 
several years before they mature seeds; probably from having the flowers 
of only one'sex. In general it may be observed that there is great uncer- 
" tainty, in the different species of A‘cer, with regard to sex. 
A. Leaves simple. 
¥ 1. A. opLo’NGuM Wall. The oblong-/eaved Maple. 
Identification. Wall. in Litt. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 593; Don’s Mill. 1. p. 648. : 
nymes. A. laurifodlium D. Don, Prod. Fl. Nep., p. 249.; 4. Buxtmp ala Hamilt. 
ngraving. Our fig. 113. in p. 433. 7 
FF 4 
