154 ACER 



ins. across, and rather more in length, the lobes ovate-triangular, ending in a 

 long, narrow apex, the lowest pair spreading outwards ; the base of the leaf is 

 heart-shaped, the margins not toothed ; the stalk has a milky sap, and both 

 surfaces are green and smooth except for tufts of hairs in the vein-axils 

 beneath. Flowers appearing in April or early May with the first leaves, 

 greenish yellow, in corymbose racemes 2 to 3 ins. long. Fruit with smooth 

 wings, about i times as long as the nutlets, the pairs parallel, and almost 

 connivent ; each key f to I j ins. long. 



Native of Japan ; introduced in 1881. There is much similarity between 

 this maple and A. laetum, the chief distinguishing feature of the latter being 

 the larger wings of the fruit as compared with the nutlet, and the smooth, 

 unfissured two-year-old stems. Even eliminating A. laetum as a probable 

 variety, the present species is a variable one, the most distinct form in cultiva- 

 tion being 



Var. MONO (A. Mono, Maximoivicz\ in which the fruits stand out 

 hprizontally, and at right angles to the stalk. Native of Japan, Manchuria, 

 N. and Central China ; introduced by Wilson for Messrs Veitch in 1901. A 

 year or two previously, however, it had reached cultivation in Europe by way of 

 St Petersburg. 



Var. TOMENTULOSUM, Rehder. Leaves covered beneath with a dense 

 whitish down. 



All the forms of A. pictum are handsome, but no very large trees appear to 

 exist in this country. It is probable that the three following colour varieties, 

 when they bear fruit, may prove to belong to A. laetum : 



Var. AUREUM. Leaves entirely yellow. 



Var. MARMORATUM. Leaves powdered over with white dots and stains, 

 some being more white than green. 



Var. VARIEGATUM (tricolor). Leaves marked with large irregular blotches 

 of creamy white ; occasionally all one side the midrib is of this colour. 



A. PLATANOIDES, Linnczus. NORWAY MAPLE. 



A deciduou^ tree from 60 to 70, occasionally over 90, ft. high, with smooth 

 branchlets. Leaves 5-lobed, heart-shaped at the base, 4 to 7 ins. wide and 

 about three-fourths as long in adult trees (in young vigorous specimens they are 

 considerably larger) ; bright green on both surfaces, smooth except for a tuft of 

 hairs in the axils of the veins; stalks exuding a milky sap when broken. Flowers 

 greenish yellow, | in. diameter, produced in April before the leaves in erect, 

 branching corymbs. Fruit pendulous, on stalks 2 to 3 ins. long ; keys i^ to 2 

 ins. long, smooth ; the wings ^wide-spreading but not quite horizontal, ^ to ^ in. 

 wide. Timber white, and fairly close and hard in grain. 



Native of continental Europe, where it is widely spread in a wild state from 

 Norway southwards ; cultivated in England for centuries, but not a native. 

 The Norway maple is one of the handsomest, hardiest, and most vigorous of intro- 

 duced trees. Its leaves are thinner and brighter than those of common sycamore 

 or of the plane, which they somewhat resemble. It is also more ornamental 

 when in flower than most maples, and its leaves fade in autumn into various 

 shades of red, brown, and yellow. It thrives in almost any soil, and even in 

 the poor sandy soil at Kew grows rapidly. For forming a screen quickly it is 

 preferable in many places to black Italian poplar, for although it does not 

 grow so fast nor so big, it is a tree of better form and more interesting char- 

 acter. Easily increased by seeds, which are produced abundantly. Few 

 large trees have produced more varieties under cultivation. More than twenty 

 have been named, and of them the following are the more distinct : 



Var. AUREO-MARGINATUM. Leaves often three-lobed; lobes deep and long- 

 pointed, margined with yellow. 



Var. COLUMNARE, Carriere. Leaves smaller and shallower-lobed than in 



