2 HAEDY OKNAMENTAL 



Acacia. See Robinia. 

 Acanthopanax. See Aralia. 



Acer (Sapindaceae). 



Though less remarkable for beauty of flowers than for 

 their neatly-divided and often brightly-tinted foliage, yet 

 a few species of Acer must be ranked as amongst the most 

 ornamental and attractive of early-flowering trees. Such 

 would include A. etjbeum (the Scarlet Maple, Canada, 1656), 

 with vivid scarlet flowers; A. striatum (North America, 

 1755), which has large and conspicuous flowers on long 

 peduncles and curious black-and-white longitudinal mark- 

 ings on the smooth, bright-green bark ; A. taetabicum 

 (1759), in which the crowded racemes of yellowish-green 

 flowers are tinged with red; and our commonest of all 

 A. platanoides (the Norway Maple, Europe, 1683), which 

 is one of the showiest in early spring. They succeed 

 well in loam or alluvial deposit. 



Actinidia (Ternstroemiaceae). 



Actinidia chinensis. — China, 1847. Whether for its 

 curious and ornamental foliage or clusters of showy yellow 

 flowers this little-known Chinese climbing plant is well 

 worthy of extended cultivation in this country. It is quite 

 hardy, and when established in suitable soil grows away 

 freely. The long-stalked, sub-orbicular leaves, which 

 measure 3 inches to 4 inches across, are rendered parti- 

 cularly noticeable on account of the dense covering of 

 deep-red hairs with which, especially in a young state, both 

 these and the shoots are covered. The clustered yellow 

 flowers are borne on short spurs, and are about 1J inch 

 in diameter. It succeeds well around London, and seems 

 to prefer a northern aspect. 



A. kolomikta. — North-East Asia, 1880. This is a 

 rare species with serrated leaves and small white flowers. 



