MAPLE TREE. 



239 



of which resemble those of the mulberry-tree^ and the 

 fruit that of the wild fi^ ; whence it was named from 

 both, s?/cos signifying a fig and moms a mulbeiTy- 

 tree. 



Thevenot mentions a curious tradition concerning one 

 of these trees, which has also been related by other tra- 

 vellers : "At Matharee," says he, " is a large garden 

 surrounded by walls, in which are various trees, and, 

 among others, a large sycamore, or Pharaoh's fig, very 

 old, which bears fruit every year. They say that the 

 Virgin passing that way with her son Jesus, and being 

 pursued by a number of people, this fig-tree opened to 

 receive her ; she entered, and it closed her in, until the 

 people had passed by, when it re-opened ; and that it 

 remained open ever after to the year 1656, when the 

 part of the trunk that had separated itself was broken 

 away 



The Great Maple is called in France, as with us, 

 Sycomore or Faux Platane^ Mock-plane : the Itahans 

 call it Acero Fico, Fig-maple. 



This tree grows very high with a spreading top : it is 

 in leaf by the middle of April, and the leaves on their 

 first appearance are of a pleasant green, but they distil a 

 clammy juice that is agreeable to insects, and they soon 

 perforate and disfigure them. The flowers are full blown 

 by the end of April, but they are of too green a colour 

 to make much show. 



The sycamore is good to plant near the sea, because it 

 is not injured by the spray. An enormous sycamore is 

 said to have grown at Knowle, in Kent, which is repre- 

 sented in Badeslade's view of that seat, and is preserved 



* Thevenot's Voyage de Levant, part i. p. 265. 



