ACER 149 



Native of S. Europe and N. Africa ; introduced, according to Aiton, in 

 1739. In general appearance this maple bears much resemblance to our native 

 A. campestre, but is easily distinguished by its smooth three-lobed leaves, 

 without milky juice in the stalks. It is a small tree of neat and pleasing 

 appearance, very suitable as an isolated specimen in a small garden. There 

 are several fine examples at Kew, the largest 46 ft. high and nearly 6 ft. in 

 girth of trunk. The largest specimen I have seen is in the Jardin des Plantes 

 at Paris, which in 1904 was about 60 ft. high and 8 ft. in girth of trunk. This 

 maple is used as a hedge plant in the south of Europe. 



A. NEGLECTUM, Lange. 

 (A. setnense, Hort. ; A. zoeschense, Pax.') 



A deciduous tree, which will probably ultimately attain a height of 50 ft. 

 and upwards; young branchlets minutely downy. Leaves 3 to 5^ ins. wide, 

 about three-fourths as long, five-lobed, heart-shaped at the base, dark green 

 and shining above, paler and downy beneath, becoming^smooth later except 

 for tufts in the axils of the veins ; lobes ovate, with a long apex. Flowers in 

 erect, corymbose panicles, 2 to 4 ins. long. Fruits downy ; keys ij in. long ; 

 wings ^ in. wide, almost horizontal. 



A maple of garden origin with an obvious affinity to A. campestre, especi- 

 ally in the five-lobed leaf having milky sap in the stalk and in the downy 

 horizontally-spreading keys. The leaves, however, are larger, and the lobes 

 more angular. It is probably a hybrid between that species and A. laetum. 



A. NEGUNDO, Linnaus. Box ELDER. 



(Negundo aceroides, Moench; N. fraxini folium, Nultall?) 



A deciduous tree, 40 to 70 ft. high, with a trunk 2 to 3 ft. in diameter, 

 forming a wide-spreading head of branches; branchlets smooth. Leaves 

 long-stalked, pinnate, 6 to 10 ins. long, consisting of three or five leaflets. 

 Leaflets ovate, 2 to 4 ins. long, pointed, coarsely toothed towards the end ; 

 iipper side bright green, smooth ; lower one slightly downy or eventually 

 smooth ; the terminal leaflet often three-lobed or even trifoliolate. Flowers 

 (male and female on separate trees) yellow-green, without petals, the male 

 ones crowded in dense clusters on the previous year's shoots, each flower 

 on a slender hairy stalk, I to i^ ins. long ; the females in slender, drooping 

 racemes. Fruit in pendent racemes, 4 to 8 ins. long ; each key i" to i^ ins. 

 long, with a wing j to ^ in. wide, the pair forming an angle of 60 or less. 



Native of N. America, where it is widely spread. According to Sargent 

 it is most common in the Mississippi Valley, but reaches as far north as New 

 York State, and as far west as thl inland slopes of the Rocky Mountains. 

 It was cultivated by Bishop Compton at Fulham in 1688. Although the 

 typical form is by no means common, it is a handsome tree, especially when 

 isolated on a lawn. It is one of the maples that yield sugar in America. 

 There is a tree over 40 ft. high at Kew, but the largest specimen I have seen is 

 in Mr Spath's nursery, near Berlin, which is over 60 ft. high, and 6 ft. 6 ins. in 

 girth of trunk. The most popular of variegated trees is the 



Var. VARIEGATUM, now so largely used in town gardens, and grown in pots 

 for the decoration of halls and large rooms. The leaflets have an irregular 

 border of white, or are sometimes wholly white. In consequence, the tree 

 makes a conspicuous object in the garden, and is frequently over-planted. It 

 first appeared as a " sport " on the green-leaved type in a nursery at Toulouse 

 in 1845, DUt trees of large size appear to be very uncommon. It is female, and 

 the fruits are variegated like the leaves. Other varieties are : 



