CHAP. XXII. ACERA CER. ACER. 409 
sized deciduous tree, a native of Europe, from Norway to Switzerland, and 
also of North America, but not of Britain, flowering in May and June. 
Introduced in 1683. Height from 40 ft. to 70 ft. 
_ Description. A handsome tree of the first rank; in general appearance, at 
a distance, like the common sycamore ; but, on a nearer approach, the leaves 
are found of a smoother and finer texture. The roots extend considerably both 
downwards and laterally. The trunk is somewhat shorter than that of the syca- 
more, seldom exceeding 60 ft. or 70 ft.in height. The bark is green on the young 
shoots, but it afterwards becomes of a reddish brown, dotted with white points: 
that of the trunk is brown, and rather cracked. The buds are large and red 
in autumn, becoming of a still darker red in the course of the winter: those 
on the points of the shoots are always the largest. The leaves are thin, 
green on both sides, and shining. When the petiole is broken an acrid milky 
sap issues from it, which coagulates with the air. The leaves are about 5 in. 
long, and nearly the same in width. The petioles are longer than the leaves. 
About the end of October, the leaves become either of a clear ora yellowish 
red, and then drop off. The flowers appear just before the leaves, near the end 
of April: they forma short raceme, somewhat corymbose. The fruits, or 
keys, have their wings yellow. They ripen in September and October; and 
it is not till the tree has attained the age of nearly 40 years that it produces 
fertile seeds, though it will flower many years before that period. The rate of 
growth of this species is considerable. In France, a plant has been known to 
attain the height of 12 ft. in three years from the seed. In England, when once 
established, it produces shoots from 18 in. to 3 ft. long every year, till it at- 
tains the height of 20 ft. or 30 ft.; which, in favourable situations, it does in 
10 years. 
Varieties. 
* A. p. 2 Lobelii. Lobel's Platanus-like Maple. 
Synonymes. A, Lobélit Tenore; A. platandides Don’s Mill., 1. p. 649. 
Engraving. Our fig. 120. in p. 444. 
Description. The leaves are very slightly heart-shaped, irregularly 
toothed, 5-lobed, with the lobes more or less abruptly pointed. 
The bark of the young wood striped, somewhat in the manner of 
thatof 4. striatum ; by which circumstance the plant, in a young state, 
is readily distinguished from A. platandides. A large tree, native 
of the kingdom of Naples, and found on mountains. The general 
appearance is said to be that of A. platandides, of which it 
seems to us to be only a variety. We have seen small plants of 
this sort in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, and in one or two 
of the nurseries. These were imported from Messrs. Booth, nur- 
serymen, Hamburg. They appear to be grafted on A. platandides. 
¥ A. p. 3pubéscens Hayne. The downy-leaved Platanus-like Maple. — Leaves downy on the 
under side. ‘This variety appears to be found in Germany; but we have not seen it in 
England. 
« ¥ A. p. 4 variegdtum Hort., dlbo variegdtum Hayne. The silvery variegated- 
leaved Platanus-like Maple.—According to the figure in Schmidt’s 
Baumzucht, the foliage of this variety is beautifully marked, and 
very handsome; but we have never seen it in Britain in a state to 
warrant us in recommending it for cultivation. From several spe- 
cimens which we have seen, we consider it as decidedly inferior in 
beauty to the variegated sycamore, 
Ay we aureo variegdtum, the golden variegated-leaved Platanus-like Maple, is described in 
oks, but we have never seen a plant of it. 
¥ A. p.6 lacinidtum Dec. The cut-leaved Platanus-like Maple. (fig 121. in 
p. 445,)—A very distinct variety, with the leaves deeply and variously 
cut. It is frequently produced from seed, being found by nur- 
serymen among seedlings of the species. In 1835, there were 
above 100 of them, in two beds of one year’s seedlings, in the Gold- 
worth Nursery. A. p. crispum Lanth seems to be nothing more than 
