ACER 137 



Native of Japan, introduced to cultivation by Prof. Sargent, who found 

 fruiting trees in Japan in October 1892, and sent young trees to Kew a year or 

 two later. It has proved hardy. It is one of the handsome group with striated 

 branches including A. pennsylvanicum and A. rufinerve, to both of which it*is 

 closely allied and bears much resemblance in shape of leaf, but is readily 

 distinguished by the absence of down on leaf, young wood, and flower-stem. 



A. CARPINIFOLIUM, Siebold. HORNBEAM MAPLE. 



(Gardeners' Chronicle, 1881, i., f. 105.) 



A deciduous tree, said to become 50 ft. high in Japan, but as yet represented 

 only in this country by trees less than half that height ; branchlets dark, 

 smooth. Leaves oblong, usually from 3 to 4 ins. long, i to 2 ins. wide, not 

 lobed, doubly toothed, densely covered when young, especially on the veins, 

 with grey silky hairs, but becoming almost smooth by autumn ; veins parallel 

 as in the hornbeam, in about twenty pairs ; stalks from J to f in. long. 

 Flowers green, borne on long slender stalks in a short umbel or raceme. 

 Fruit with wings about \ in. long, in. widef the wings decurved in the shape 

 of a bow. 



Native of Japan ; introduced in 1879 by Messrs Veitch. The extraordinary 

 resemblance the leaves bear to those of the hornbeam make this perhaps the 

 most easily distinguished of maples. From the hornbeam their opposite 

 arrangement, of course, at once distinguishes it even in the absence of fruit. 

 This maple is quite hardy, and there is a fine specimen about 20 ft. high in 

 the Coombe Wood nursery the largest in Britain. 



A. CIRCI-NATUM, Pursh. VINE MAPLE. 



A low, deciduous tree, often scarcely more than a shrub, b,ut sometimes 

 over 30 ft. high ; branchlets smooth. Leaves seven- or nine-lobed, almost 

 circular in general outline, but heart-shaped at the base, 3 to 5 ins. wide, 

 the lobes unequally or doubly toothed ; lower surface hairy when young, but 

 ultimately almost smooth ; stalks stout, I to i ins. long. - Flowers in small 

 corymbose clusters, each flower ^ in. across, the sepals reddish purple ; petals 

 smaller, dull white. Fruit with wings about ij ins. long, f in. wide, spreading 

 almost horizontally, red when young (Fig., p. 138). 



Native of Western N. America from British Columbia south to California ; 

 introduced by Douglas in 1826. This maple is very distinct, and one of the 

 most ornamental in its flowers. In April, when well in bloom, the wine- 

 coloured sepals contrasting with the whitish petals make a very pretty display, 

 especially as they are associated with conspicuous crimson leaf-scales. Its 

 leaves frequently die off in beautiful red and orange-coloured shades. If 

 it is desirable that .it should form a trunk, the lower branches should be pruned 

 off as the tree grows in height until sufficient clean stem has been formed. 

 But, allowed to grow in its natural way, it makes a low, wide-spreading bush 

 of pleasing form, often with the lower branches laid on the ground and 

 taking root there. Owing to this peculiarity it forms impenetrable thickets 

 in a wild state. It is an admirable subject for a lawn in a small garden. 



A. CISSIFOLIUM, Koch. 



A deciduous tree of compact, rounded form, 30 ft. or more high ; branchlets 

 downy. Leaf consisting of three leaflets borne on a slender common stalk 2 

 to 3 ins. long, smooth except for a few hairs at the junction of the stalks of the 

 leaflets. Leaflets 2 to 3^ ins. long, obovate, oval or ovate, the terminal part ol 



