FAB EASTERN M \PLKS. 



Japanese Maples are invaluable, and clumps of one kind, or two or three 

 varieties with colours harmoniously blended, afford a very pleasing 

 feature in early spring, enduring longer than our most persistent flower- 

 ing shrubs. But it is not only the garden that has benefited by the 

 introduction of Maples from the Far East, as some of the species are 

 large-leaved strong-growing trees, which, although they do not reach 

 the dimensions of their Western relatives, are worthy of a place amongst 

 our native park and woodland trees. Among such are Acer distylum, 

 a simple-leaved species, A. rvfinerve, a tree of rapid growth, in habit like 

 a Sycamore ; A. Miyabei, of comparatively recent introduction ; A. carpini- 

 folium, the Hornbeam-leaved Maple ; A. diaboliaim, with very large 

 leaves ; and A. nikocnsc, a trifoliate-leaved species which assumes in 

 autumn a brilliant crimson hue. 



Before referring to the new Chinese species sent by Wilson, 1 will 

 briefly enumerate the Maples from Japan already in cultivation, and 

 which it will be seen from the illustrations are worthy of more attention 

 than they have hitherto received. 



Acer argutum is a very pretty species, with neat foliage of a bright and 

 tender green. The leaves are 5-lobed, with biserrate margins and acute 

 lobes ; the upper surface is reticulated and the under side strongly veined ; 

 the petiole is red, as is also the wood of the previous year's growth. A 

 fully developed leaf measures to 5 inches in length and 4 inches in 

 breadth at the extreme points. 



A native of the alpine woods in the provinces of Senano and Nambu, 

 Japan, it was introduced to this country through Maries. 



Acer carpinifolium, rare in Japanese forests, is a most distinct Maple 

 with leaves like those of the Hornbeam, and when not in fruit closely 

 resembling that plant. The leaves vary somewhat in shape, being some- 

 times obovate and at others ovate with an acuminate apex and biserrate 

 margins. When fully developed they measure A\ inches in length by 

 2 inches in breadth, and are rather shortly stalked. The upper surface is 

 glabrous, but the principal veins are hairy on the under surface. The wings 

 of the fruit are divergent and slightly drooping, many-nerved, and the 

 cells are flat. It was introduced to this country through Charles Maries, 

 and a specimen at Coombe Wood is now over 12 feet in height. (Fig. 75.) 



Acer capillipes is a rare plant in this country. It has leaves re- 

 sembling in outline those of A. tegmentosum, and forms a bush some 10 

 to 12 feet in height in its native home. The autumn tint of the leaves 

 is purplish-brown suffused with ochreous-yellow along the principal veins. 



Acer cissifolium, otherwise known as Negundo cissifolium, is an elegant 

 species with trifoliate leaves, the Japanese representative of the North 

 American Acer Negundo, or Box Elder. 



Acer cratcegifolium was introduced from the mountainous regions of 

 Japan, and first distributed about the year 1881, and is another of the 

 introductions for which we are indebted to Maries. 



The leaves of this species, as its name implies, bear a strong resem- 

 blance to some of the larger-leaved forms of Cratcegus, and are of a deep 

 bright green colour. They measure about three inches in length, and are 

 unequally 3- to 5-lobed, with the edge much notched. 



The tree is of slender growth, and of somewhat variable habit, attaining 



