316 



PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



ACBE 



bronzy-purple foliage ; lohatum has broad 

 overlapping irregularly out lobes ; reticu- 

 latum is recognised by the variegated 

 network of yellow or white upon a light 

 green ground ; sanguineum (which is 

 loosely known under many other names) 

 has deep red leaves ; tricolor has reddish 

 leaves prettily streaked and blotched with 

 creamy- white and rose ; and variegatum 

 comes very near, the young leaves and 

 stalks being red, but streaked with white 

 and rose when old. The green-leaved 

 form of A, septemlohum is often used 

 as a stock upon which the other varieties 

 are budded or grafted. 



3. The DissBOTDM Geotjp. — This group 

 is characterised by the leaves being cut 

 into 7-9 overlapping lobes, each of which 

 is again more or less deeply cut or incised 

 from the margins to the midrib. The 

 plants in this group are extremely graceful 

 and feathery-like in foliage. The follow- 

 ing are some of the best varieties : — The 

 typical form has finely cut green leaves ; 

 omatwm is similar in appearance but the 

 Fern-like leaves are of a beautiful deep red 

 or bronzy-purple ; roseo-marginatum has 

 deep green leaves, bordered with rose and 

 streaked with rose and white ; sessiU- 

 foUum is a very distinct form with .deep 

 green finely cut leaves and leaflets ; and 

 Unctum is almost similar to the typical 

 green-leaved ddssectum, from which, how- 

 ever, it may be distinguished by the red- 

 dish tinge of its beautifully cut foliage. 



Culture amd Propagation. — From an 

 ornamental point of view, the many beau- 

 tiful forms of A. pahnatum quite ecHpse 

 all other Maples in cultivation, and of late 

 years they have become immensely popu- 

 lar — so much so indeed that they are now 

 very largely imported direct from Japan. 

 As they do not as a rule grow very quickly 

 and are rarely more than 3-6 ft. high, 

 they are weU adapted for growing in pots 

 and in conservatories. Most of them are 

 almost perfectly hardy, except perhaps in 

 the coldest and bleakest parts of the king- 

 dom. In such localities they must, how- 

 ever, be protected if necessary 'va. severe 

 winters by means of mats laced round a 

 wicker work of sticks or canes. As for 

 soil, they seem to flourish equally well in 

 stiff heavy soil, in dryish sandy soil, and 

 in peat. They are therefore suitable for 

 planting in almost any garden the soil of 

 which is in a fairly good and well-drained 

 condition. They should not be mixed up 

 with stronger and more coarse-growing 



plants in the ordinary shrubbery, as they 

 would thus stand a chance of being sooner 

 or later smothered. To obtain the best 

 effects they may be planted in groups by 

 themselves in warm and sheltered spots, 

 where, however, they wiU be fully exposed 

 to the ripening influence of the sunshine, 

 so that the brightest tints of the foliage 

 may be highly developed. A mulching 

 of well-rotted manure during the winter 

 months will be of great value in supplying 

 fresh food to the soil, and also for pro- 

 tecting the roots from severe frosts. 



A. pectinatum. — A distinct species, 

 native of Nepal and Sikkim, having leaves 

 with 3-5 tapering lobes, the margins of 

 which are remarkable for the fine bristly 

 teeth or serratures. This character readily 

 distinguishes it from A. caudatum, with 

 which it has been confused, but the wings 

 of the rose-tinted fruits are also spreading 

 horizontally, instead of being more or less 

 erect as in .4. caudatum. 



Culture Sc. as above, and for A. 

 caudatum. 



A. pennsylvanicum {A. striatuin). — 

 A beautiful N. American tree 20 ft. high, 

 with trunk striped with white lines. 

 Leaves heart-shaped, 3-lobed, pointed, 

 finely and sharply serrated. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 313. 



A. pictum. — A native of temperate 

 Asia 15-20 ft. high, with 5-7-lobed, entire, 

 pointed leaves. 



The varieties connivens, marmora- 

 turn, ruhrum,, and variegatum differ 

 chiefly in the colour tints of the foliage. 

 A new variety named tricolor has the 

 young leaves of a bright purple-red hue 

 suffused with rosy-pink, and shading off 

 into frregular masses of deep red or crim- 

 son and creamy- white. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 313. 



A. platanoides {Norway Maple). — An 

 ornamental Buropeaji tree 50 ft. high, 

 with smooth, heart-shaped, 5-lobed leaves ; 

 lobes pointed with a few coarse sharp 

 teeth. There are several varieties, such 

 as atireo-variegatv/m with pale yellow, 

 blotched leaves ; laciniatum, leaves vari- 

 ously and deeply cut, green and yellow ; 

 ScJmedleri, large deep bronzy-red leaves ; 

 variegatum, with white blotches, and 

 many others such as the Eagle's or Kite's 

 Claw, cn,oullatiimn, Lobeli, purpureum, 

 ruhrum, columnare &o. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 313. 



