À. dasycárpum.
3. Àcer dasycárpum, Ehrh. (Silver or White Maple.) Leaves large, truncated at base, 5-lobed, with blunt notches, the lobes irregularly serrated and notched, silvery white, and, when young, downy beneath. Flowers light yellowish-purple, preceding the leaves, in crowded umbels along the branches. Wings of fruit large and forming about a right angle; ripe early in June. A rather large, rapidly growing, and usually somewhat weeping tree, with soft white wood. Special cut-leaved and weeping varieties are sold at the nurseries. Wild along river-banks, and extensively cultivated in the streets of cities.
À. rùbrum.
4. Àcer rùbrum, L. (Red Maple.) Leaves cordate at base and cleft into 3 to 5 acute-notched, irregularly toothed lobes, whitish beneath, turning a bright crimson in early autumn. Flowers usually scarlet, rarely yellowish, in close clusters along the branches, appearing before the leaves in the spring. Fruit often reddish, small, with the wings at about a right angle. A rather small, somewhat spreading tree with reddish branches; wild in wet places and often cultivated.
À. Pseudoplátanus.
5. Àcer Pseudoplátanus, L. (Sycamore-maple.) Leaves thickish, cordate, downy beneath, with 5 rather crenately toothed lobes, on long, often reddish petioles. Flowers in long pendulous racemes, appearing after the leaves. Fruit hanging on the tree till after the leaves fall in the autumn, the wings forming about a right angle. A rather large, spreading tree, 30 to 80 ft. high, with reddish-brown twigs. Cultivated; from Europe. Many varieties of this species are sold by the nurserymen; among them may be mentioned the Purple-leaved, Golden-leaved, Silver-leaved, Tricolored, etc.
