252 AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. 



The wild plant, which belongs to the lower mountain forests, grows 

 about 12 m. high, and the trunk is from 1*5 to I'S m. in circum- 

 ference. 



The light greyish brown wood shows fairly distinct year-rings, 

 very small pores and numerous weak pith-rays. It is extremely 

 fine grained, even, close and heavy, therefore durable and tough, 

 and on all these accounts belongs to the most valuable cabinet 

 woods of the country. 



io6. Acer Japonicum, Thunb., Jap. Kayede or Kaide. The 

 Japanese give this name to several other maples, such as Acer 

 imcranthurn, S. and Z. The tree is found often in mountain forests 

 as high as i,ooo m. above the sea, and grows as large as the fore- 

 going variety. The light-coloured pink wood is fine grained, close, 

 and when cut longitudinally shows a shiny spotted surface. A 

 wood well known by the name Itaya, and found on Yezo, seems 

 to be identical with A. japojiicum, Thunb., and Yama-shiba with 

 Acer carpiiiifoliitm^ S. and Z. 



Fam. Sapindace/e. 



107. Sapindus Mukurosi^ Gaertn., Jap. Mukuroshi, a medium- 

 sized tree of the lower foliaceous forest which, according to Gamble, 

 is the same as the Indian 5. detergens^ Roxb. The wood of the 

 Mukuroshi, like that of all the soap-nut trees, is of a light yellowish 

 white colour, with fine pith-rays and a girdle of numberless 

 moderately large pores. It is light, brittle, and not of much 

 value. 



108. Koelreuteria paniculata^ Laxm. {Sapindus Chinensis, L.), 

 Jap. Moku-kenjiu, Bodaijiu. This little tree is found in forests, 

 but is often, as with us, an ornamental tree. Its wood is like that 

 of the Mokurushi. 



109. ^scidtis tubinata, BL, Jap. Tochi, Tochi-no-ki, a beautiful 

 tree of the deep mountain forests, from Kiushiu to Yezo. It has 

 yellow flowers, and deserves the attention of our gardeners, on 

 account of its fine foliage. The wood is extremely fine-pored, 

 whitish, brittle, and perishable, therefore, like our horse-chestnut, 

 is not much prized. 



Fam. Rhamne^. 



1 10. Hovenia dzilcis, Thunb., Jap. Kempon-nashi, has been already 

 mentioned (p. ^y), as a fruit tree. The light wood has a colour 

 varying from yellowish brown to brownish red. It is even in 

 texture, finely porous, and shows in cross sections clearly marked 

 year-rings, and numerous small but sharply distinct white and 

 prominent pith-rays. It is found too seldom to have any great 

 significance. 



111. Zizyphus vulgaris, Lamk., Jap. Natsume and Sanebuto- 

 natsume (see p. Sj). The wood of this fruit tree resembles, and is 



