152 THE MAPLE TRIBE. 



and eastern Europe, is the type of a tliird tribe of Sapindace<E, in whieli, 

 as in tlie Maples and Horsechestnuts, the leaves are always opposite, whilst 

 in the true Sapindacea they are generally alternate. 



I. ]M[API.E. ACEE. 



Trees, with opposite, palmately-veined and lobed leaves, no stipules, and 

 small, greenish flowers, in axillary corymbs or racemes. Sepals usually 5, 

 overlapping each other in the bud, and more or less united at the base. 

 Petals 5, or sometimes 4, or entirely wanting. Stamens about 8, inserted on 

 a thick disk below the ovary. Ovai-y 2-lobed or rarely 3-lobed, each lobe 

 enclosing one cell with 2 ovules suspended from the inner angle. Styles 2, 

 rarely 3, often united at the base. Fruit separating when ripe into 2, rarely 

 3, indeliiscent carpels or nuts, produced into a wing at the top, and called 

 Jceys or samaras. Seeds 1 or 2 in each carpel, without albumen. 



A genus not numerous in species, but extending over Europe, Eussian 

 and central Asia, and North America. It differs from all British trees, ex- 

 cept the Ash, by its opposite leaves, and from that genus by the flowers, and 

 by the palmate not pinnate leaves. 



Flowers on short, loose, erect corymbs. Wings of the carpels di- 

 verging horizontally 1. Common M. 



Flowers in pendulous racemes. Wings of the carpels erect, parallel 



or sUghtly diverging 2. Sycamore M. 



The A. platanoides and A. monspessulanum from eastern or southern 

 ^MX'O^k, the sugar 3Iaple (A. saccharaium), from North America, and some 

 other exotic true Maples, besides the ash-leaved Maple, forming the genus 

 Negundo, from North America, may be met with in om- parks and plantations. 



1. Common IKIaple. Acer campestre, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 304.) 



When full-grown, a rather handsome, round-headed, tliough not very tall 

 tree, with a dense, dark green foliage, but, as it is of slow growth and flowers 

 when young, it is often seen as a small scraggy tree, or mere bush, in our 

 hedges. Leaves on slender stalks, 2 to 3 inches broad, divided to about the 

 middle into 5 broad, usually obtuse lobes, entire or sinuate, glabrous above, 

 often downy underneath. Flowers few, on slender pedicels, in loose, erect 

 corymbs, shorter than the leaves. Carpels downy or rarely glabrous, the 

 wngs spreading horizontally, so as to form together one straight line. 



In European woods, extending eastward to the Caucasus, and northward 

 to southern Sweden. In Britain, abundant in southern England, and appa- 

 rently truly indigenous as far north as Cheshu-e and the Tyne. Scarcely in- 

 digenous in Ireland. Fl. spring. 



2. Sycamore Maple. Acer Pseudo-platanus, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 303. Sycamore.) 



A much handsomer and freer-growing tree than the common M., the leaves 

 larger, with more pointed and toothed lobes, not unhke those of a Plane-tree. 

 Elowers in loose, oblong, hanging racemes. Wings of the carpels nearly- 

 parallel, or diverging so as to form a right angle, not spreading into one 

 straight Hne. 



A native of the moimtains of central Europe and western Asia, extensively 

 planted in Britain, and in many places sows itself so readily that it may 

 almost be considered as natm-alized. Fl. spring. 



