MAPLE FAMILY 



pound clusters ; both rachis and pedicels are hairy. The 

 keys likewise are borne in pendulous clusters, their wings di- 

 verge, but are not as divergent as those of the Norway Maple. 

 Like the Norway it holds its leaves two weeks longer than 

 our native species. This is a characteristic of all our accli- 

 mated European trees. It is native to central Europe and 

 was brought into England in the time of Queen Elizabeth, 

 where it has become perfectly acclimated. 



The history of its common name Sycamore is most inter- 

 esting. Sycamore is derived from two Greek words, one 

 meaning fig and the other mulberry. But this sycamore 

 bears neither figs nor mulberries, nor does its fruit in any 

 respect resemble either. In the New Testament story it is 

 said that Zaccheus climbed a sycamore tree in order that he 

 might better see Jesus as he passed by. That sycamore was 

 a fig-tree, common enough by the wayside in Palestine and 

 Egypt, but not native in Europe. The interesting question 

 is how did this European maple get the name of the eastern 

 fig-tree ? Simply through word transference. In the twelfth 

 and thirteenth centuries, when miracle plays were produced 

 in all the churches of Europe for the instruction of the peo- 

 ple, one of the favorite scenes for acting was the flight into 

 Egypt of Joseph and Mary. It was easily put upon the 

 stage. One legend says that on their way they rested under 

 a sycamore tree. But no sycamores grew in the countries 

 where these plays were acted and so this maple was chosen 

 to take its place, because the leaves were somewhat like 

 those of the true sycamore. In the play it was called syca- 

 more, and naturally the people began to call it sycamore, and 

 such it has remained to this day. 



