18. Acer maius latifolium. The great Maple or Sycomore tree.
The Sycomore tree, as we vsually call it (and is the greatest kind of Maple, cherished in our Land onely in Orchards, or elsewhere for shade and walkes, both here in England, and in some other countries also) groweth quickly to bee a faire spreading great tree, with many Boughes and branches, whose barke is somewhat smooth: the leaues are very great, large, and smooth, cut into foure or fiue diuisions, and ending into so many corners, euery one standing on a long reddish stalke: the bloomings are of a yellowish green colour, growing many together on each side of a long stalke, which after turne into long and broad winged seede, two alwaies standing together on a stalke, and bunched out in the middle, where the seed or kernell lyeth, very like vnto the common Maple growing wilde abroad, but many more together, and larger.
The Vse of the Sycomore tree.
It is altogether planted for shady walkes, and hath no other vse with vs that I know.
19. Nux Vesicaria. The bladder Nut.
This tree groweth not very high, but is of a meane stature, when it is preserued and pruined to grow vpright, or else it shooteth forth many twigges from the rootes, and so is fit to plant in a hedge rowe, as it is vsed in some places: the body and armes are couered with a whitish greene barke: the branches and leaues on them are like vnto the Elder, hauing three or fiue leaues set one against another, with one of them at the end, each whereof is nicked or dented about the edges: the flowers are sweete and white, many growing together on a long stalke, hanging downeward, in forme resembling a small Daffodill, hauing a small round cup in the middle, and leaues about it: after which come the fruit, inclosed in russetish greene bladders, containing one or two brownish nuts, lesser then Hasell nuts, whose outer shell is not hard and woody, like the shell of a nut, but tough, and hard withall, not easie to breake, within which is a greene kernell, sweetish at the first, but lothsome afterwards, ready to procure casting, and yet liked of some people, who can well endure to eate them.