348 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



endemic, and others, from their southern habitat, are too tender to cultivate 

 in the open air in this country. 



Specimens of thirty species and varieties were collected by Wilson, 

 and several of these are now in cultivation at Coombe Wood. Among 

 this collection are three species new to science and several unrecorded 

 varieties. 



Duplicate specimens were sent to Professor Sargent, of the Arnold 

 Arboretum, Harvard University, Mass., U.S.A., and he kindly identified 

 them. The Professor remarks in lit. : " Wilson seems to have been very 

 successful indeed with the Maples, and altogether his collection is the 

 most important and valuable that has been made by any one for many 

 years." 



The specimens now growing at Coombe Wood are necessarily seedlings, 

 and, as Acers are proverbially variable in the seedling stage, it has been a 

 somewhat difficult task to identify them, as the two important taxonomic 

 characters — the flowers and fruit — are absent. 



One of the most variable of the new Chinese species is Acer Davidi, 

 so named by M. Franchet, to commemorate the labours of Pere David, a 

 French missionary in China, by whom it was discovered. Wilson met 

 with it on the Kui mountains as a rare tree, attaining a height of about 

 50 feet. 



The leaves vary much in size and degree of pubescence, sometimes 

 reaching a length of 8 inches and a breadth of 5 inches. When first 

 produced they are of a reddish-bronze tint, which changes later in the 

 year to a deep rich shining green, with strongly marked veins of yellowish- 

 green. 



The fruit is borne in a drooping raceme ; the cells of the " keys " are 

 small and globular, and the wings, measuring 1^ inches long by | inch 

 broad, are widely divergent. The bark is green striped with white — a 

 valuable ornamental feature for winter effect. 



An interesting fact concerning this species is that Maries sent it home 

 from China some twenty-five years ago, and there is now at Coombe 

 Wood an old stool from which plants have been layered for a number of 

 years and distributed as " Acer sp. from N. China;" but, as it never 

 flowered, botanists could not identify it. 



It appears to be a strong grower and is apparently quite hardy. It 

 lias been planted in exposed situations and has withstood many winters 

 uninjured. (Figs. 86, 90.) 



Acer pictum var. Mono is a new Chinese variety that has made 

 rapid progress from the seedling stage, and is now about six feet in height 

 at Coombe Wood. It promises to become a handsome Maple, and from 

 its rapid growth will doubtless be widely planted. 



The leaves are from 8- to 5-lobed, with attenuated apices. The 

 upper surface is shining green, and the under side is covered with a short 

 pubescence which gives a velvety impression to the touch. The "keys" 

 are freely produced in corymbs, the cells are horizontal, and the wings 

 widely divergent, membranous, and strongly veined. (Figs. 87, 89.) 



Acer sincmc var. concolor is a new form of the species, with leaves 

 green on both surfaces. 



It is a handsome Maple, and, from its habit at Coombe Wood, promises 



