ACANTHOPANAX ACER 133 



Native of W. China ; introduced by Wilson for Messrs Veitch about 

 1904. It appears to be quite hardy at Coombe Wood, where I have seen it 

 in flower and fruit. The absence ot down from all parts of the plant, and the 

 trifoliolate leaves, render it distinct. 



A. S I M O N I, C. K. Schneider. 



(Eleutherococcus Simoni, Simon-Louis^ 



A deciduous shrub, 3 to 5 ft. high, bushy ; branches not downy, armed 

 with stout, pale spines, pointing downwards. Leaves composed of five leaflets 

 radiating from the end of a slender stalk 2 or 3 ins. long, and often armed with 

 a few slender prickles. Leaflets of different sizes ; the terminal one the largest, 

 sometimes 5 or 6 ins. long and i to 2 ins. wide ; the lower pair much smaller ; 

 all lanceolate, long-pointed, tapering at the base to a short stalk ; sharply, 

 somewhat coarsely toothed, the teeth set with one or two bristles; dark 

 green, and furnished with scattered bristly hairs above, paler and similarly 

 bristly beneath. Flowers in a terminal cluster of umbels, each umbel on a 

 stalk i to 2 ins. long. Fruit in. long, black, each on a slender smooth stalk 

 ^ in. long. 



Native of China ; first appeared in Europe in the nursery of Messrs Simon- 

 Louis, near Metz. It was also introduced by Wilson for Messrs Veitch in 

 1901. It is figured in the Gardeners' Chronicle, Dec. 9, 1905, p. 404, under the 

 erroneous name of Eleutherococcus leucorrhizus (see A. leucorrhizum), which 

 differs in having perfectly smooth leaves. 



ACER. MAPLES. ACERACE^E. 



A large and important genus composed chiefly of deciduous trees, 

 some being of the largest size, may middle-sized or small, a few shrubby. 

 The hardy species are widely spread over the three northern continents, 

 the finest trees being natives of N. America. A large number come 

 from N.E. Asia, many of which, however, are small trees. 



The most constant and distinctive characters of the genus are the 

 opposite leaves and the form of the fruits. Each fruit consists normally of 

 two sections, known as samar?e (commonly as "keys"), attached to 

 each other by their bases, and each "key" consists of a nutlet> 

 containing one, sometimes two, seeds, and a large, thin, membranous 

 wing. These wings no doubt assist in the dispersion of the seed. 

 Flowers sometimes unisexual. The typical maple leaf is broad and flat, 

 with five palmate lobes. But there is a great diversity of shape in the 

 genus : some species have as many as eleven or thirteen lobes to each 

 leaf, many have but three lobes, and there is a distinct group with leaves 

 not lobed at all. Finally comes the section of maples with compound 

 leaves consisting of three or five distinct leaflets, sometimes kept generically 

 separate as Negundo. 



Most of the maples have tamely coloured flowers, varying from yellow 

 to greenish white ; a few have purple flowers (like A. circinatum), and 

 are very ornamental when in blossom ; whilst others, like A. Opalus, 

 flower in early spring before the leaves expand, and although not highly 

 coloured make, at that season especially, a pleasing display. Still, on 

 the whole, the attractions of the maples generally are in the large or 



