p. 611.) An undershrub 1 ft. in height, a native of Carolina; introduced in 1811, and producing its yellow flowers in July and August. Somewhat tender. App. i. Other Species of Hypéricum. The only truly hardy shrubby species of Hypericum are, H. elàtum, H. hircinum, H. calycinum, H. Kalmianum, and H. prolíficum. The other hardy species are of such low growth, that they may be considered, for all practical purposes, as herbaceous plants. The same may be said of a number of the half-hardy species. The number of these might be increased partly by the addition of H. rèpens and H. linearifolium, from the south of Europe; by several species from North America, which will be found noticed in p. 179.; and by a few from Africa. H. oblongifolium, in the list, p. 173., appears to have been lost; and there are, probably, some other Himalayan species which will prove half-hardy. H. japonicum Dec. (Royle t. 24. f. 2.) is a plant enjoying a very extended distribution, being found in situations where the snow covers the soil for nearly six months in the year, along the Himalayas, and on the Neelgherries. It is also found in Japan. (Royle's Illust., p. 131.) GENUS II. ANDROSÆ MUM Chois. THE ANDROSEMUM, or TUTSAN. Lin. Syst. Identification. Chois. Prod, Hyp., 37.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 543.; Don's Mill., 1. p. 601. Synonymes. Hypéricum L.; Androsème, Fr.; Johanniskraut, Ger. Derivation. From aner, andros, a man, and haima, blood; the capsules, when crushed between the fingers, giving out a blood-coloured juice. Tutsan is a corruption of toute saine, all heal; and it was applied to the plant formerly from its supposed vulnerary properties. Gen. Char., &c. Capsule baccate; usually 1-celled. Calyx 5-parted, with unequal lobes. Petals 5. Styles 3. Stamens numerous, disposed in 3 sets. (Don's Mill., i. p. 601.) An evergreen suffruticose plant, with sessile leaves, and terminal stalked flowers. 1. A. OFFICINALE Allioni. The officinal Androsæmum, or common Tutsan. Identification. All Ped, No. 1440.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 543.; Don's Mill., 1. p. 601. Synonymes. Clýmenon Italdrum L'Obel; Hypéricuni Androsæ mum Lin., Willd., Smith, and Hooker; Park Leaves (because it is frequently found wild in parks); Androsème officinale, Fr. ; breit-blättriges (broad-leaved) Johanniskraut, Ger. Engravings. Blackw., t. 94. ; Eng. Bot., t. 1225.; and our fig.109. Spec. Char., &c. Leaves ovate, and somewhat heartshaped, sessile, widely spreading. Flower an inch wide. A native of moist shady lanes, thickets, and woods in England, in the western part of Scotland, and not unfrequent in woods in Ireland. It was formerly common in the woods about Hampstead and Highgate, till these were grubbed up, and the land where they grew subjected to cultivation. It is also a native of Italy, Greece, and Cacausus. It 109 forms a dense bush, with many stems, attaining the height of 3 ft. and upwards, and producing its large yellow flowers from July to September. The fruit is an ovate capsule, assuming the appearance of a berry: it is, at first, yellowish green, then red or brownish purple; and, lastly, almost black when ripe. The juice of the capsules, and also that of the leaves, is claret-coloured. The latter, when bruised, have an aromatic scent, and were formerly applied to fresh wounds; and hence the French name of la toute saine. In gardening, the plant is valuable as growing under the drip of trees, and thriving and flowering freely in almost any soil or situation. Plants, in the London nurseries, may be obtained at 9d. each; and at Bollwyller for 50 cents. CHAP. XXII. OF THE HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS BELONGING TO THe order ACERA CE. DISTINCTIVE Characteristics. Flowers either unisexual or bisexual. Calyx and corolla equal in the number of their parts, with an imbricated æstivation; the corolla sometimes absent. Petals without appendages. Stamens inserted upon a disk, which arises from below the pistillum, not agreeing in number with the divisions of the calyx and corolla. Pistillum 2-lobed, each lobe having a wing at its back. Style 1. Stigmas 2. Fruit formed of two samaræ, or keys, each containing 1 cell and 1 erect seed. Embryo curved, with leafy shriveled cotyledons and no albumen. Trees or shrubs, almost all deciduous, with opposite leaves, without stipules. (Pen. Cyc.) Calyx 4-9 lobes, mostly 5. Stamens mostly 8. Flowers in axillary corymbs. Sap sugary. (Lindl. Introd. to N. S.) Cotyledons, in the germination of the seed, produced above ground. The samaræ in Acer Pseudo-Plátanus are very rarely 3. Description. The species are chiefly low and middle-sized deciduous trees, generally with lobed, but, in one or two cases, with entire or pinnated leaves. They are natives of Europe, North America, and the north of India. They are all highly ornamental; some of them valuable for their timber; and from Acer saccharinum, and other species, sugar is extracted. In point of magnitude, the species of the Aceràceæ may be arranged in three classes: those of the largest size, having large leaves, and the trunks of a timber size, fit for various purposes in architecture, such as the A. Pseudo-Plátanus, A. eriocárpum, &c.; those of the second size, with small leaves, the timber of which is chiefly used by cabinet-makers, turners, &c., and the trees as copsewood, such as Acer campéstre; and those of the third size, with small leaves, which are solely employed for ornamental planting, such as Acer monspessulanum, 4. créticum, &c. Geography and History. "The maples," Michaux observes, "form extensive forests in the northern parts of North America: these forests appear, with those of the beech, to succeed the spruce fir, the larch, and the pine, and to precede the chestnut and the oak; at least, this is the case between 43° and 46 of N. lat., the region assigned by nature to the true sugar maple." Seven species of Acer, and one of Negúndo, are described by Michaux. In the Pen. Cyc., under the article Acer, understood to be by Dr. Lindley, 34 species are enumerated or described; and, in Don's Miller 39 species, of which 26 are in cultivation in British gardens. Most of the American species are already introduced into Britain; but there are some in the mountainous regions of India, and probably in Japan and China, which are likely to prove hardy in Britain, which are not yet introduced, the names of some of which will be found in p. 173. and p. 176., and in the concluding section of this chapter. Properties and Uses. The wood of the Aceràceæ is moderately hard, compact, and more or less veined: it is useful in various departments of architecture, and is particularly valuable as fuel. Sugar is one of the constituent parts of the sap of all the acers and negundos, though that article is chiefly obtained from two species, which are natives of America. Soil and Situation. The Aceràceæ prefer a free, deep, loamy soil, rich rather than sterile, and neither wet nor very dry. The situation that suits them best is one that is sheltered, and shady rather than exposed. They are seldom found on the north sides of lofty mountains, or on mountains at all, except among other trees; but in the plains they are found by themselves. Though the species only attain perfection in favourable soils and situations, they will spring up and live in any soil or situation whatever. Propagation and Culture. The Aceràceæ are chiefly propagated from seeds; but some sorts are increased by layers, cuttings of the shoots or roots, or by budding or grafting. The seeds of most of the species ripen in October, and they are gathered by hand, or by shaking the tree, when the keys begin to turn brown. The maturity of the seed may be proved by opening the key, and observing if the cotyledons are green, succulent, and fresh; if the green colour of the cotyledons is wanting, the seeds are good for nothing. The seeds of all the species may either be sown in autumn, after they are gathered, or in spring and the latter method is preferable where moles abound, as they are very fond of the seeds. Sown in spring, they come up in five or six weeks afterwards, with the exception of those of the A. campéstre, which never come up till the second or third year. The seeds should not be covered with more than from a quarter to half an inch of soil. The surface of the ground in which they are sown may be advantageously shaded with leaves, fronds of firs, heath, or straw. The genera which compose this order are three, Acer, Negúndo, and Dobinea; and the species in cultivation in Britain are of the two former genera, which are thus contradistinguished in Don's Mill., i. p. 647. ACER L. Flowers polygamous. Calyx 5-lobed. Stamens 7-9, rarely 5. Leaves simple, usually lobed. NEGUNDO Moench. Flowers dioecious. Calyx unequally 4-5-toothed. Leaves pinnate. Anthers 4-5, linear, sessile. GENUS I. ACER L. THE MAPLE. Lin. Syst. Polygàmia Monœ'cia. Identification. Lin. Gen., No. 1115.; Moench. Meth., 334.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 593.; Don's Mill., 1. p. 648. Synonymes. E'rable, Fr.; Ahorn, Ger.; Acero, Ital.; and Arce, Spanish. Derivation. From acer, hard or sharp, derived from ac, Celtic, a point. The name is supposed to be applied to this genus because the wood of some species is extremely hard, and was formerly much sought after for the purpose of making pikes and lances. Gen. Char., &c. Sexes hermaphrodite, or monœciously polygamous. Flowers with a calyx and corolla. Calyx divided into 5 parts, or some number between 4 and 9. Petals the same in number. Stamens 8, or some number between 5 and 12. Anthers 2-lobed. Carpels 2, very rarely 3, each a samara; that is, a fruit which is called, in England, vernacularly, a key.— Leaves lobed and toothed, or, rarely, neither lobed nor toothed. Flowers generally yellow, with more or less of green blended with the yellow; red in A. rubrum: not individually conspicuous, but interesting in the kinds that flower at leafing time, from their number, from the rarity of flowers generally at that season, and from the enlivening effect of the numerous bees, and other insects, that attend them. The tips of the wings of the samaræ of several of the species are of a light red, in England, at the end of summer, and in autumn. The species are middle-sized, or low deciduous trees, natives of Europe, North America, and, some, of the Himalayas. They are, in general, quite hardy in Britain, and most of them ripen seeds in this country, by which they are readily propagated. They are among the most ornamental trees of artificial plantations, on account of the great beauty and variety of their foliage, which changes to a fine scarlet, or rich yellow, in autumn. The larger-growing species are often many years before they come into flower, and, after they do so, they sometimes flower several years before they mature seeds; probably from having the flowers of only one sex. In general it may be observed that there is great uncertainty, in the different species of Acer, with regard to sex. A. Leaves simple. 1. A. OBLO'NGUM Wall. The oblong-leaved Maple. Spec. Char., &c. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acuminated, quite entire, coriaceous, smooth, rounded at the base. Racemes compound; wings of fruit parallel, smooth, separated. (Don's Mill., i. p. 648.) Native of Nepal, where it flowers in February; introduced in 1824. Height 20 ft. This species is rather tender, and somewhat difficult to keep in the open ground. We are not aware of any living plant of it being in the neighbourhood of London; but there is one in the arboretum of John Thomas Brooks, Esq., at Flitwick House, Bedfordshire, which is frequently killed down to the ground during winter, but always shoots up vigorously the following spring. The leaves and general appearance of the shoots resemble those of a eucalyptus; hence its character among maples is so very extraordinary, that to the botanist it must be a species of very great interest. 2. A. TATA'RICUM L. The Tartarian Maple. Identification. Lin. Sp., 1495.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 593.; Hayne Dend., p. 209.; Don's Mill., 1. p. 648. Synonymes. Erable de Tartarie, Fr.; Tartarische Ahorn, Ger.; Zarza-modon, or Locust Tree, Russ. Engravings. Pall. Fl. Ros., t. 3.; Tratt. Arch., 1. No. 1. Wat. Dend. Brit., t. 160.; our fig. 114. in p. 434.; and the plate of this species in our Second Volume. Spec. Char. Leaves cordate, undivided, serrated, with obsolete lobes. Racemes compound, crowded, erect; wings of fruit parallel, young ones puberulous. (Don's Mill., i. p. 648.) A low tree, native of Tartary, introduced in 1759; flowering in May and June, and growing to the height of from 20 ft. to 30 ft. Description, &c. The branches are numerous, and disposed into a compact. head, densely covered with leaves, which are distinguished by a peculiarly veiny appearance, and lively green. The flowers are of a pale greenish yellow, sometimes slightly tinged with red, as are the fruit, or keys, before their maturity. When raised from seed, the plant will come into flower in 5 or 6 years; and, in good soil, it will attain the height of 15 ft. in 10 years. Geography, History, &c. This species is common throughout all the south of European Russia; but it is not found on the Ural Mountains, or on Caucasus. Near the Wolga and its tributary streams, it forms a hemispherical tree, about 20 ft. in height, and the same in diameter. In New Russia, it attains the size of Acer campéstre. (Pall.) According to some, this species will thrive in a moister soil than most others. The wood is hard; and, being of whitish colour veined with brown, it may be used for cabinetwork, In ornamental plantations, this species is valuable on account of the early expansion of its leaves, which appear before those of almost every other kind of Acer. Pallas informs us, that the Calmucks, after depriving the keys of their wings, boil them in water, and afterwards use them for food, mixed up with milk and butter, In Britain, it is planted solely as an ornamental tree or bush. Statistics. The largest specimen of it in the neighbourhood of London is at Syon, where it has attained the height of 25 ft. In Devonshire, at Endsleigh Cottage, 18 years planted, it is 40 ft. high. In Sussex, at West Dean, 15 years planted; it is 19 ft, high. In Staffordshire, at Trentham, 16 ft. high, with a head 20 ft. in diameter. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 30 years planted, and 30 ft. high. In Scotland, in the Perth Nursery, 14 years planted and 10 ft, high, Price, in London, Is. ; and at Bollwyller, 1 franc each. B. Leaves 3-lobed, or trifid; rarely 5-lobed, 3. A. SPICATUM L. The spiked-flowered Maple. Identification. Lam. Dict., 2. p. 381.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 593.; Don's Mill., 1. p. 648. Synonymes. A. montànum Ail. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 435.; A. pennsylvánicum Du Roi, Harick, t. 2.; 4. Spec. Char., &c. Leaves cordate, 3- or slightly 5-lobed, acuminated, pubescent beneath, unequally and coarsely serrated. Racemes compound, erect. Petals linear. Fruit smooth, with the wings rather diverging. (Don's Mill., i. p. 648.) Flowers polygamous. A deciduous tree, a native of the mountains of Canada, and of the Alleghany Mountains; producing its very small greenish flowers in April and May, and attaining in its native country, according to Michaux, the height of 6 ft. or 8 ft. Introduced in 1750, by Archibald Duke of Argyle, and about as common in ornamental plantations in England as Acer tatáricum. In British gardens, it forms a low tree, 8 ft. or 10 ft. high, very ornamental in autumn, from its small keys, which are fixed upon slender pendulous spikes, and have their membranous wings, beautifully tinged with red when ripe. Michaux states that this species, grafted upon the sycamore, is, like the A`cer striàtum, augmented to twice its natural dimensions; a fact which we have never had an opportunity of seeing verified. Statistics. At Syon, 25 ft. high. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 30 years planted and 40 ft. high, the trunk 15 in. in diameter, and the diameter of the head 20 ft. In Scotland, at Edinburgh, in the Caledonian Horticultural Society's Garden, 9 years planted and 30 ft. high. Price, in London, 1s. 6d. a plant; at Bollwyller, 1 franc 50 cents; at New York, 25 cents, and seeds 1 dollar per quart. 4. A. STRIATUM L. The striped-barked Maple. Identification. Lam. Dict., 2. p. 381.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 593.; Don's Mill., 1. p. 648. Synonymes. 4. pennsylvánicum Lin. Sp., 1496.; A. canadense Marsh., and Duh. Arb., 1. t. 12. ; Snake-barked Maple, Moose Wood, striped Maple; E'rable jaspé, Fr.; gestreifter Ahorn, Ger. Engravings. Mill. t. 7.; Trat. Arch., No. 11.; Mich. Fel. Arb., 2. t. 17.; our fig. 116. in p. 436, 437.; and the plate of this species in our Second Volume. Spec. Char. Leaves cordate, 3-lobed, acuminated, finely and acutely, serrated. Racemes pendulous, simple. Petals oval. Fruit smooth, with the wings rather diverging. (Don's Mill., i. p. 643.) A tree readily distinguished by the striped bark of the young shoots, growing in its native country to the height of 10 ft. or 12 ft., but to that of 20 ft. or upwards in a state of cultivation. It produces its flowers in May and June, and sometimes ripens seeds. Description, &c. The trunk and branches are covered with a smooth green bark, longitudinally marked with black and white stripes, by which the tree is readily distinguished at all seasons of the year. In America, it is one of the first trees that announces the approach of spring. Its buds and leaves, when beginning to unfold, are rose-coloured. The leaves are of a thick texture, and finely serrated. The flowers are greenish, and are grouped on long peduncles. The fruit is remarkable for a cavity on one side of the capsules. It is a native of North America, in Nova Scotia, and from Canada to Carolina. It makes its first appearance in about latitude 47°, and is particularly abundant in Nova Scotia, the State of Maine, and New Hampshire. In approaching the Hudson, it becomes more rare; and, beyond this boundary, it is confined to the mountainous tracts of the Alleghanies, in which it is found in cold shaded exposures, along the whole range to its termination in Georgia. In many of the forests of Maine and New Hampshire, A. striàtum constitutes a great part of the undergrowth, seldom exceeding 10 ft. in height; but, where it is not shaded by other trees, it attains the height of 20 ft. or upwards. The wood is white and fine-grained, and used by cabinet-makers as a substitute for holly. Cattle, in Nova Scotia, are fed with the leaves, both in a green and dried state; and in spring, when the buds begin to swell, both horses and cattle are turned into the woods to browse on the young shoots, which they consume with avidity. (Michaux.) From the great beauty of its bark, this tree deserves a place in every collection. It is propagated by seeds, which are received from America, or by grafting on A. Pseudo-Plátanus. Statistics. The largest specimen which we know of within a short distance of London, is at Mr. Needham's villa, near Maidenhead, where it has attained the height of 16ft. 6 in. in 20 years. Near Reading, at White Knights, a tree 25 years planted is 21 ft. high; in Surrey, at Farnham Castle, 35 years planted, it |