48 THE TREES AND SHRUBS [LECT. 



creticum and oltusifoUum, if indeed they are different 

 species, grow only in Crete and the Archipelago. 



According to this view, the Acer of Virgil would 

 be the A. pseudo-platanus , or Sycamore of the mo- 

 derns, and probably the Acer Gallicum is the same 

 tree, for it is more common in France than in 

 Italy, or in Greece, in which latter country, in- 

 deed, Sibthorp does not appear to have remarked 

 its presence. It grows sometimes to a great height, 

 viz. 120 feet, so that it may be compared in this 

 respect to the Lime. 



So many of the Maple tribe produce a timber, 

 which from its variegation of colour might answer 

 to Pliny's description of pavonia, that it is difficult 

 to determine which was intended, but as the Nor- 

 way, or red species, Acer platanoides, occurs more 

 frequently in Greece and Italy, than our common 

 Maple, A. campestre s , it is probable that this may 

 be the one referred to by Pliny, and also perhaps 

 by Ovid. 



The Acer campestre, however, often presents in its 

 roots that beautiful veined appearance, which Pliny 

 notices under the names of bruscum and molluscum, 

 and which was much prized in his day for the 

 leaves of tablets, and as a veneer for couches 1 . 

 We have already seen that this quality is alluded 

 to by Ovid. 



Cercis siliquastrum, or Judas-tree, is abundant in 

 Greece and Northern Italy, and Fraas supposes 



According to Fraas, Synopsis Plant., Fl. Class. Munchen, 1845. 

 ' Lib. xvi. c. 27. 



