Trees, Shrubs and Vines 
leaves about two weeks longer than our native species— 
an important consideration from every point of view. 
The field maple (Acer campestre), of Europe, is made 
too much of in the Park, as it is a quite inferior species. 
Its leaf-type, as one can see by referring to the illustra- 
tions, is least ornamental of all maples. 
Two other interesting native species, oftener shrubs 
than trees, with a northern and mountainous range, are 
the striped and mountain maples, with very distinctive 
leaves. Both blossom much later than the other sorts, 
and the abundant long clusters of bright red-winged 
fruit, hanging from the striped maple along a mountain- 
road in August, will catch the aimless eye of the most 
inattentive observer. This is the only species whose 
flower-cluster is erect, drooping only as the fruit ripens. 
The box-elder, or ash-leaved maple, with a com- 
pound leaf, would never be admitted to the family, 
were it not for its doubly winged fruit, which is the in- 
dubitable proof of kinship; this is of more westerly 
range, but often planted eastward, where a small, quick- 
growing, graceful tree is desired. With identical fruit, 
but widely diverse foliage, there must be several ‘‘ miss- 
ing links’’—possibly held fast in the rock strata— 
between the box-elder and all other maples. 
This family fills a niche in nature and nature-art that 
could be supplied by no other tree-group, the world 
over. Its supreme glory, however, is in the transient 
period of autumn coloring, and here the native species 
are pre-eminent. The sour gum and dogwood may 
show quite as startling a scarlet, the tulip-tree and ginkgo 
as rich a yellow; but for lavish quantity of gorgeous 
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