142 ACER 



A. FRANCHETII, Pax. FRANCHET'S MAPLE. 



A deciduous tree, 20 ft. high, with smooth branchlets. Leaves three-lobed 

 or occasionally with two additional basal lobes ; 3 to 6 ins. long, and as much 

 wide, the base slightly heart-shaped ; lobes pointing forward, triangular, 

 coarsely toothed ; leaf-stalk often about as long as the blade. There are tufts 

 of down in the vein-axils. Flowers yellowish green, in racemes I to 2 ins. 

 long from the joints of the previous season's wood ; stalks downy. Fruit with 

 slightly hairy nutlets ; keys 2 ins. long ; wings f to S in. wide, spreading at 

 nearly right angles. 



Native of Central China ; introduced in 1901 for Messrs Veitch by Wilson. 



A. G INN ALA, Maximowicz. 



(A. tataricum var. Ginnala, Maximowicz.") 



A small tree, or large shrub of bushy habit ; branchlets smooth. Leaves 

 up to 3^ ins. long, 2^ ins. wide, three-lobed, slightly heart-shaped or truncate 

 at the base, margins angularly toothed ; nearly, or quite smooth on both 

 surfaces, bright dark green above ; the lobes are ovate, with the middle one 

 much the longest ; leaf-stalk and midrib reddish. Flowers yellowish white, 

 in small panicles, very fragrant, appearing in May. Fruit smooth ; keys I in. 

 long ; wings ^ in. wide, nearly parallel. 



Native of China, Manchuria, and Japan ; first introduced by way of St 

 Petersburg. This maple is nearly allied to A. tataricum, but differs markedly 

 in the shape of the leaf. The foliage turns a beautiful red before falling, the 

 species being one of the best for autumnal colour. 



Var. SEMENOWI, Pax> is a geographical form found farther to the west, 

 in Turkestan. Its leaves are smaller, sometimes five-lobed, and the wings of 

 the fruit are more divergent. 



A. GLABRUM, Torrey. ROCK MAPLE. 



A deciduous shrub or small tree, occasionally 30 to 40 ft. high in a wild 

 state ; branches erect ; branchlets quite smooth. Leaves of very variable 

 shapes, usually three- but sometimes five-lobed ; the lobes so deep sometimes 

 that the leaf becomes trifoliolate, at other times quite shallow ; 3 to 5 ins. long 

 and broad, coarsely toothed, quite smooth on both surface^ ; dark shining 

 green above, pale beneath ; stalk reddish, i^ to 3 ins. long. Flowers few, 

 produced towards the end of April in clusters I to 2 ins. long, greenish 

 yellow, \ in. across. Fruit with incurved wings, each f in. long, f to \ in. 

 wide, reddish when young. 



Native of Western N. America ; long known to botanists but intro- 

 duced about thirty years ago. It is very distinct because of its thin lustrous 

 leaves, quite devoid of any down. At Kew it is thriving well, young trees 20 

 ft. high flowering and bearing seed ; they are well marked by their upright, 

 almost fastigiate branches. 



A. GRANDIDENTATUM, NuttalL 



A deciduous tree, occasionally 30 to 40 ft. high, usually much less ; branchlets 

 reddish and smooth. Leaves three-lobed (or five-lobed with the basal pair of 

 lobes much reduced), 2 to 4 ins. across, heart-shaped at the base ; lobes triangular 

 or oblong, entire or with three secondary lobes ; downy beneath, especially 

 along the ribs ; stalks reddish, smooth. Flowers yellow, borne in drooping 

 short-stalked clusters, appearing with the leaves. Fruit smooth ; keys i to i|- 

 ins. long ; wings \ in. wide, diverging at about 60. 



