ACER 



103 



weeping; carnea, flesh-colored flowers; humilis, very low shrub 2 to 4 

 feet high; atrosangufnea, dark red flowers; varicgata, blotched leaves; 

 etc. [Seeds; layers; root cuttings. ] 



Acer. The MAPLES are generally among the tallest and most useful of 

 trees but a few of them are only shrubby in growth. The opposite pal- 



mately lobed simple deciduous 

 leaves are almost universal in the 

 genus, but the 2-winged fruit is a 



FIG. 109. Round-leaved Maple. 



FIG. 110. Tartarian Maple. 



better test, because there are no exceptions to this characteristic. ASH- 

 LEAVED MAPLE (102) or Box ' ELDER ' -Acer Negiindo has compound 

 leaves and is generally a small tree but is sometimes shrubby with smooth 

 dark green bark on the twigs. 



The shrubby maples wild in America and often cultivated are : Mor\- 

 TAIN MAPLE (103) .Veer spicatum with 3-lobed coarsely serrated 

 leaves and dense upright clusters of flowers (June) and fruit; and 

 STRIPED MAPLE (104) Acer pennsylvanieum with greenish white- 

 striped bark. The leaves of the striped maple are large, to 8 inches 

 long, with 3 finely serrated lobes. The flower-clusters are drooping, in 

 spring. The best, most varied and beautiful of the shrubby maples are 

 those of China and Japan. [Layers ; twig cuttings ; seeds.] 



