314 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



ACER 



A. dasycarpum {A. eriocarpum; A. 

 toinentosum ; A. glaucmn ; A. virgmi- 

 anum). — ^A N. American tree 40 ft. high. 

 Leaves truncate at the base, 5-lobed, lobes 

 unequally and deeply toothed, and of a 

 beautiful silvery white beneath, and some- 

 times measuring 8 in. long without the 

 stalk, by 10 in. broad. 



Concerning this species Mr. Nicholson, 

 of Kew, says, ' it is a fast-growing tree of 

 the first rank for ornamental purposes, its 

 graceful habit and handsome foliage 

 causing it to be extensively planted as an 

 avenue and general shade tree both in 

 its native country and in Europe. The 

 flowers which clothe the leafless branches 

 in early spring somewhat resemble those 

 of A. ruirurri; but are not nearly so highly 

 coloured as are those of that species ; they 

 expand too a fortnight or more earlier. 

 In autumn the decaying foliage assumes a 

 bright lemon-yellow tint, at any rate as far 

 as I have observed in this country. Seeds 

 are freely produced and ripened both in 

 England and on the Continent, and a crowd 

 of sports and seedling forms have received 

 names in nurseries.' 



Some of the most distinct forms are 

 aureo-variegattim, the leaves of which are 

 mottled with yellow; laciniatum, with 

 the leaf-lobes more deeply cut and divided 

 than in the type ; lutescens, having yellow- 

 ish tinted foliage ; and pulverulentxim, the 

 leaves of which are spotted with white, 

 and the tips of the young shoots are tinted 

 with red. 



Culture Sc. as above, p. 313. 



A. diabolicum [A. pidchrum). — An 

 elegant Japanese Maple, remarkable for 

 its large 5-lobed leaves, often measuring 

 as much as 10 in. across. The lobes are 

 more or less miequally toothed or shal- 

 lowly lobed, while the whole margin is 

 very distinctly defined. The large yellow- 

 ish flowers in due course give place to 

 clusters of beautiful winged fruits between 

 the wings of which are 2 horn-like pro- 

 jections which probably suggested the- 

 specific name to the author of the species. 



Culture £c. as above, p. 313. 



A. distylum. — A distinct Japanese 

 Maple with ovate un-lobed leaves 6-8 in. 

 long, rounded at the base, tapering towards 

 the tips, and having an irregularly toothed 

 margin. The small yellowish flowers are 

 replaced in autumn by clusters of pretty 

 winged seed vessels. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 313. 



A. glabrum {A. Douglasi ; A. tripar- 



Utum) A North American tree 15-30 



ft. high. Leaves roundish heart-shaped, 

 deeply 3-5-lobed or parted, bi-serrate, 

 light green. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 313. 



A. Heldreichi. — A distinct and hand- 

 some Maple, native of E. Europe, with 

 rather leathery 3-5-lobed leaves, bright 

 shining green above, and rather bluish- 

 green beneath. The leaf-lobes are coarsely 

 and bluntly toothed, and the general 

 appearance reminds one of the foliage of 

 the well-known Virginian Creeper (p. 309). 



Culture dc. as above, p. 313. 



A. heterophyllum {A. sempervirens). 

 An evergreen species about 4 ft. high, 

 native of the Levant, Asia Minor &c. 

 Leaves small, ovate entire, 3-lobed, 

 slightly serrate, smooth. 



Ciolture dc. as above, p. 313. 



A. ibericum. — ■ A Caucasian species 

 20 ft. high, with bluntly 3-lobed leaves ; 

 lobes with 1 or 2 teeth, side ones distinctly 

 nerved. 



Cultu-re dc. as above, p. 313. 



A. insigne. — A pretty Caucasian spe- 

 cies, very much resembling the Common 

 Sycamore {A. Pseudo-Platanus) in the 

 foUage. There is a form known as velu- 

 tinum, which is distinguished chiefly by 

 the slight velvety down on the under 

 surface of the leaves. 



Culture dc. as above. This is said to 

 be one of the hardiest Maples in cultiva- 

 tion. 



A. japonicum. — A beautiful species 

 attaining a height of 20 ft. in its native 

 country, Japan. Leaves many-lobed, light 

 green in early spring. Flowers in April, 

 large, deep purple-red. There are many 

 varieties of this species, aU worthy of 

 cultivation. The best known are aureum 

 with distinct golden foliage ; compactum 

 with a compact bushy habit ; laciniatum 

 with pale green deeply cut leaves; and 

 rufinerve albo-lineatum with dark green 

 leaves edged and marbled with creamy 

 white. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 313. 



A. macrophyllum.— A tree 60 ft. high 

 in its wild state in N. California. Leaves 

 digitately 5-lobed, lobes again divided 

 into three. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 318. 



