BOTANICAL NOTES ON BRITISH FOREST TREES. 341 



off irregular plates somewhat like those of Platanus, but 

 smaller, exposing yellowish-white patches. 



Buds ovoid, pointed, obtusely four-angled, rather large. 

 Scales imbricated, decussate, pale green with dark brown 

 edges. Leaf-scars narrow crescentic, with three vascular 

 bundle traces. ^ 



Leaves decussate, large, palmately five-lobed, cordate 

 at base, unequally and coarsely serrate ; dark green 

 above, greyish below and with prominent venation. 

 Petioles long, and not covering the axillary buds. 



Flowers yellow-green, in loose, pendulous racemes; 

 male and hermaphrodite flowers mixed. Late spring. 



Fruit a double samara, heart-shaped and silky hairy 

 when young. The two wings of the ripe fruit have the 

 inner margins nearly parallel, the stiff outer ribs nearly 

 erect. 



Wood pale yellow-white, with numerous equally dis- 

 tributed small vessels, and straight satiny medullary 

 rays. Annual rings sharply marked. 



Seeds exalbuminous ; the cotyledons rolled up and 

 green. Hypocotyl slender, raising the long, oblong, 

 almost parallel veined cotyledons. First leaves ovate, 

 cordate, serrate. 



26. NORWAY MAPLE. 

 Acer platanoides (L.). Sapindacese. 



Large tree, somewhat resembling the last but with a 

 redder tinge to the young branches, and more numerous 

 fine furrows in the bark, which is not cast off in 

 distinct plates. 



The buds are shorter, smaller, and usually dirty red 



