160 ACER 



Native of Central China. Among cultivated species it is most closely 

 allied to A. mandshuricum, differing in its more numerously flowered inflor- 

 escence and protruding stamens. A. Henryi, with which it has been confused, 

 differs in having untoothed leaflets and downy young shoots. 



A. TATARICUM, Linnceus. TARTARIAN MAPLE. 



A deciduous shrub of bushy habit, or a small, wide-spreading tree up to 

 30 ft. high ; branchlets smooth. Leaves in adult trees not lobed, or occasion- 

 ally slightly so ; broadly ovate, rounded or slightly heart-shaped at the base, 

 from 2 to 3^ ins. long, i| to 2^ ins. wide ; smooth above, more or less downy 

 on the veins beneath, the margin doubly and irregularly toothed. Flowers in 

 erect panicles 2 to 3 ins. long, greenish white, produced in May and June. 

 Fruit with keys f to more than i in. long ; the wings J in. wide, almost parallel, 

 red in autumn. 



Native of S.E.. Europe, Asia Minor, etc. ; introduced, according to Aiton, in 

 1759. This interesting maple is very distinct in foliage, the shape of the 

 leaves suggesting Spiraea discolor rather than the typical maple. This, 

 however, only applies to the plant in its adult state ; young, vigorous trees show 

 a. distinct tendency to the palmate three- or five-lobed shape. It bears its 

 fruits quite abundantly, and, being red in autumn, they often give a pleasing 

 effect. The leaves expand early, and die off in yellow, or reddish brown tints. 

 The finest example I have seen is at Arley Castle, near Bewdley. According 

 to Mr Woodward, this tree was planted about 1820, and is now 30 ft. high. 



A. TETRAMERUM, Pax. 



A deciduous tree, 20 to 30 ft. high, with quite smooth young shoots. Leaves 

 ovate, coarsely toothed, 2 to 3^ ins. long, two-thirds as wide, the apex long- 

 pointed, the base tapering, covered with fine down beneath, and with tufts of 

 whitish hairs in the vein-axils. Flowers yellow, the males three or five together 

 in short corymbs, the females in short slender racemes, appearing with the 

 leaves. Fruit smooth ; keys I to i J ins. long ; wings J to \ in. wide, diverging 

 at an angle of about 60. 



Var. LOBULATUM, Rehder. This variety is distinguished by its leaves being 

 three-lobed, broader in proportion to their length, heart-shaped at the base, and 

 deeply triangular toothed ; they are dark green and almost smooth above, paler 

 beneath and downy, especially on and about the veins. 



Native of Hupeh, China ; discovered by Henry. The var. lobulatum was 

 introduced by Wilson for Messrs Veitch in 1901, and is growing luxuriantly at 

 Coombe Wood, being now a graceful tree over 20 ft. high, and making shoots 

 \\ to 2 ft. long in a season. The young wood is covered with a purplish bloom. 

 Typical A. tetramerum does not appear to be in cultivation at present. 



A. TRAUTVETTERI, Medwedjeff. TRAUTVETTER'S MAPLE. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 6697 as A. insigne.) 



A tree up to 50 ft. in height, and 6 ft. in girth of trunk ; branchlets smooth, 

 dark red at the fall of the leaf. Leaves deeply five-lobed, 4 to 8 ins. wide, about 

 three-fourths as long, base heart-shaped ; dark lustrous green and smooth 

 above, pale beneath and slightly glaucous, with tufts of down in the axils of the 

 chief veins, especially at the base where they meet the leaf-stalk ; margins 

 coarsely and angularly toothed. Flowers following the leaves, and produced in 

 smooth, erect corymbs. Fruits downy on the nutlets when young, becoming 

 smooth ; wings if to 2 ins. long, to f- in. wide, parallel, or almost 

 connivent, sometimes overlapping. 



