204 SAPINDACE^. (MAPLE FAMILY.) 



Order XXXII. §APIXDACEiE . OIaple Family). 



Trees or shrubs with polygamous, dioecious, or (rarely) 

 hermaphrodite flov^ers^ the 4:-5 sepals imbricated^ the petals 

 3-5, or 0, the stamens 5-10, the ovary lA-celled, and the cells 

 1-2-ovuled — Leaves simple or compound. Flowers regular 

 or irregular. Sepals free or more or less connate, often un- 

 equal. Disk complete or one sided. Stamens inserted within 

 or on the disk. Ovary central or excentric. Ovules amphi- 

 tropous or anatropous, with ventral raphe, and inferior mi- 

 cropyle. Style usually 1. Fruit a capsule or key. Seeds 

 usually without albumen, arilled or naked. 



1. ACER, Flowers polygamous. Fruit a double key. 



•2. STAPHYLEA, Flowers hermaphrodite. Fruit a membranous, 2-3-celIed capsule. 



1. ACER. L. Maple. Qaiqab. 



Calyx 5-parted, deciduous. Petals slb many as calyx-lobes or 0. 

 Filaments of male flowers longer than those of the hermaphrodite. 

 Ovary flattened contrary to septum, cells 2-ovuled. Styles 2, filiform. 

 Key with two, long wings. Embryo conduplicate; cotyledons irregular- 

 ly folded — Trees with simple, opposite leaves. 



Fig. 85. 

 5 



(a) Leaf of a species of Maple. (6) Branch witb clusters of staminate flowers, subtended by 

 imbricated bracts, (c) A staminate flower, showing the long filaments, (d) A branch with 

 clusters of fertile flotvers, subtended by imbricated bracts, (e) A single fertile flower show- 

 ing the anthers, which peer over the edge of the calyx, and the two styles. (/ ) The same 

 enlarged, with the floral envelopes removed to show the short filaments. (ff) A cluster of 

 immature samaras, (h) A mature samara, showing the two wings, and the cells, compressed 

 contrary to the partition. 



