LIQUIDAMBAR 33 



N. America, and one or more in China. In general appearance they 

 bear most resemblance to the maples (Acer), but are easily distinguished 

 by their alternate, not opposite leaves. The flowers have no beauty, 

 being greenish or yellowish, and borne in small globose heads. Male 

 and female flowers are in separate heads, the male flower-heads in short 

 racemes ; the female heads solitary. The male flowers consist of stamens 

 only ; the females of calyx and carpel only. 



The best known and most useful of Liquidambars is L. styraciflua, 

 which, like the rest, should, if possible, be raised from imported seeds. 

 These frequently do not germinate until the second year. Failing them, 

 layering must be resorted to. Young plants are apt to be injured by 

 late spring frosts. 



L. FORMOSANA, Hance. 



(L. acerifolia, Maximowicz.*) 



A tree up to So ft. high in China ; young shoots hairy. Leaves maple-like, 

 3 to 4^ ins. wide, with three or five oblong or triangular lobes ; finely glandular- 

 toothed, hairy on both sides, but especially beneath ; stalks downy, i| to 2^ 

 ins. long. It has never flowered in this country, but from specimens collected 

 in China the seed-vessels are seen to be in a globular cluster i^ ins. across and 

 spiny. 



Native of the central and southern provinces of China, where its timber is 

 largely employed for making tea-chests. There is a plant growing on a wall at 

 Kew which was raised from seed sent from Hankow in 1884. For long this was 

 the only one in the country, but latterly Mr Wilson has introduced seed of what 

 is probably L. formosana, but which he believes to be a hardier form than has 

 previously been known. L. formosana is readily distinguished from the 

 American and Asia Minor species by its hairy young shoots and leaves. 



L. ORIENTALIS, Miller. ORIENTAL SWEET GUM. 



(L. imberbe, Aiton.") 



A deciduous tree up to 100 ft. high ; but rarely one-fourth as high in this 

 country, bushy-headed. It has a rugged trunk covered with small squarish 

 plates of thick bark ; young shoots smooth. Leaves 2^ to 3^ ins. wide, scarcely 

 as long ; maple-like, five-lobed, the lobes oblong and reaching half or two- 

 thirds of the depth of the blade, coarsely toothed \>r even lobed again, 

 especially the three upper ones, the margins set with fine glandular teeth ; 

 quite smooth on both surfaces ; stalk I to 2 ins. long. Flowers (rarely or 

 never seen in Britain) greenish, produced in globose heads from the terminal 

 part of the shoot with the young leaves in spring. Seed-vessels woody, in a 

 rounded cluster i in. across. 



Native of Asia Minor ; introduced about 1750. Fine specimens are to be 

 found on the Continent, the best I have seen being in the Bologna Botanic 

 Garden 90 to 100 ft. high, and 5 ft. in diameter of trunk. In Britain it is an 

 interesting small tree, growing very slowly. It is quite hardy, but coming from 

 one of the hottest parts of the Levant it lacks in this country the sunshine 

 necessary for its complete development. From the inner bark of this tree the 

 soft, viscid, balsamic resin known as "liquid storax" is obtained. This 

 substance has certain medicinal properties of reputed value in bronchial 

 affections, and is said to form part of the popular preparation known as "friar's 

 balsam." 



