XIII. .^CERA^CE^: ^^CER. 



79 



Genus 1. 



^^CER L. The Maple. Lin. Syst. Polygamia MonoeVia. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., No. 1115. ; Moench Meth., 334. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 593. ; Don's Mill..). 



p. 648. 

 Synonymes. E'rable, Fr. ; Ahorn, Ger. ; Acero, Ital. ; and Area, Spanish. 

 Derivalion. From rtcer, hard or sharp, derived from ac, Celtic, a point. The name is supposed to be 



applied to this genus because the wood of some species is extremely hard, and was formerly much 



sought after for the purpose of making pikes and lances. 



Gen. Char. Sexes hermaphrodite, or monceciously polygamous. Flowers 

 with a calyx and corolla. Calyx divided into 5 parts, or some number be- 

 tween 4 and 9. Petals the same in number. Stamens 8, or some number 

 between 5 and 1 2. Anthers 2-lobed. Carpels 2, very rarely 3, each a 

 samara ; that isj a fruit which is called in Britain, vernacularly, a key. 

 Deciduous trees, natives of Europe, North America, and Asia. 



Leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, deciduous, rarely evergreen ; va- 

 riously lobed, toothed. Flowers axillary, corymbose. Fruit a samara. 

 Decaying leaves ricli yellow in some, and red or brown in others. 



Several of the species produce useful timber; and sugar is one of the con- 

 stituent parts of the sap of all of them. They all f)refer a situation shel- 

 tered rather than exposed ; a free, deep, loamy soil, rich rather than sterile, 

 and neither very wet, nor very dry. They are propagated by seeds and layers, 

 or by grafting. The maturity of the seed may be proved by opening the key, 

 and observing if the cotyledons are green, succulent, and fresh ; if the green 

 colour of the cotyledons is wanting, the seeds are good for nothing. The 

 seeds of all the species may either be sown in autumn, after they are gathered, 

 or in spring : and the latter method is preferable where moles abound, as they 

 are very fond of the seeds. Sown in spring, they come up in five or six weeks 

 afterwards ; with the exception of those of the A. campestre, which never 

 come up till the second or third year. The seeds should not be covered with 

 more than a quarter to half an inch of soil. The surface of the ground in 

 which they are sown may be advantageously shaded with leaves, fronds of 

 ferns, heath, or straw. 



A. Leaves simple, or only slightly or occasionally lohed. 



2*1. A. oblo'ngum Wall. The oblong-Zeaj^erf Maple. 



Identification. Wall, in Litt.; Dec. Prod., L p. 593. ; Don's Mill., 1. p.G48. 

 Synonymes. A. /aurifolium D. Bon, Prod. Fl. Nep. p. 249. ; A. Buzimpdia Hamilt. 

 Engravings. Out figs. 121, 122., reduced to our usual scale; and the figures of the leaves, of the 

 natural size, as given in the plate, p. 95. 



Spec. Char., <^c. Leaves oblong- 

 lanceolate, acuminated, quite en- 

 tire, coriaceous, smooth, rounded 

 at the base. Racemes compound ; 

 wings of fruit parallel, smooth, se- 

 parated. (^Don's Mill.) A low, 

 deciduous tree ; in Britain, a 

 rather tender shrub. Nepal. 

 Height 20 ft. Introduced in 1824. 

 Flowers greenish yellow ; February. 

 Keys?; ripe?. 



This species is rather tender, and somewhat difficult to keep in the open 

 ground, unless when planted against a wall. Though the leaves are generally 

 entire, yet they are sometimes lobed, or show a tendency to become so. 



121. A. oh\6ngam. 



122. A. obldnpum. 



