Ii
j
!
Dérivation. From anër, andros, a man, andAnìw/r, blood ; the capsules, when crushed between the
fingers, giving out a blood-coloured juice. T u tsan is a corruption of toute ««me, all heal ; and
It was applied to the plan t formerly from its supposed vulnerary properties.
Gen. Char. Capsule haccate ; usually 1-celled. Ca/;/» 5 -parted, with unequal
loties. Petals 5. Styles 3. Stamens numerous, disposed in 3 sets. I Doris
Mill.)
Leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, siib-evergieen. Flowers terminal.
The whole plant closely reserabiing a TTypericnm. — Suftruticose. Indigenous
119. a inûrosoe'mum ofïicinàîe.
in Britain.
It. 1. r i. o f f i c i n a 'l e ri//ioHî. Theofficina! Androsæmum, or commoK Dn/ian.,
Identification. All. F ed., No. 1440 : Deo. Prod., 1. p. 543.; Do n ’s
Mill., l .p . 001.
Synonymes. Clymenon Italòrum L 'Obe î; i/ypéricurn zindrosæ'mum
L m ., Wüld., Smith, and Hooker; P a rk Leaves (because it is frequently
found wild in parks) ; Androsème ofiicinaie, Fr. ; bre it-
b la ttn g e s (broad-leaved) Johanniskraut, Ger.; C ic ilian a///rZ
Engravings. Blackw., t. 94. ; Eng. Bot., t. 1225. ; and oar Jig. 119. in
flower, and Jig. 120. showing the fruit.
Spec. Char., cf-c. Leaves ovate, and somewhat heart-
shaped, sessile, widely spreading. A suh-evergreen,
siiflraticosc shrub, forming a dense bush, with many
stems. E u ro p e ; and in England in moist shady woods. Height 2 ft. to
3 ft. Flower,s yellow, 1 in. across ; July to September. Capsule brownish
¡iiii’jile, and lastly, almost black ; ripe in
October.
The fruit is an ovate capsule, assuming
the appearance o f a berry ; it is a t fir.st
yellowish green, then red or lirownish
purple; and, lastly, almost black when
ripe. The juice of the capsules, and also
th a t of the leave.s, is claret-coloured. The
latter, when bruised, have an aromatic
scent, and were fonneriy applied to fresh
wounds ; and hence the French name o f
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. I t is
readily propagated by division of the
root.
L rindTos£B*miim ofHcinàle.
O r d e r X I I I . r iC E R A 'C E Æ .
Or b . Ch a r . Flowers either unisexual or bisexual. Calyx and corolla equal
in the number o f their paits, 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 o f the calyx and corolla. Pistillum 2Jobed, each lobe having
a wing at its back. Style 1. Stigmas 2. Fruit formed o f two samarae, or
keys, each containing 1 cell and I erect seed. Embryo curved, with leafy
shriveled cotyledons, and no albumen. (Liudl. )— Deciduous trees or shrubs,
natives o f the temperate climates o f Europe, North America, and Asia.
Leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, deciduous, rarely' evergreen ; variously
lobed, rarely pinnate. — T he species in British gardens are included in the
genera ri'c e r and Negûndo, which are thus contradistinguished: —
A 'CER L. Flowers polygamous. Leaves lobed.
N e g i / n d o Moench. Flowers dioecious. Leaves pinnate.
G e n u s I .
/i'C E U L . T h e M a p l e , Lin. Sj/st. Polygàmia Monoe'cia.
Identification. L in . Gen., No. 1115. ; Moench Meth., 334. ; Dec. P ro d ., 1. p. 593. ; Do n ’s MiU., 1.
p . 648.
Synonymes. E 'ra b le , Fr. ; Ahorn, Ger. ; Acero, Ital. ; and Arce, Spanish.
Derivation. From acer, h ard or sharp, derived from nc, Celtic, a point. T lien am e is supposed to be
applied to this genus because th e wood of some species is extremely hard, and was formerly much
sought after for the purpose of making pikes and lances.
Gen. Char. Sexes hermaphrodite, or monoecionsly polygamous. Flowers
with a calyx and corolla. Calyx divided into 5 parts, or some number between
4 and 9. Fetals the same in number. Stamens 8, or some number
between 5 and 12. Anthers 2-lobed. Carpels 2, very rarely 3, each a
samara ; th a t is, a fruit which is called in Britain, vernacularly, a key. —
Deciduous trees, natives of Europe, North America, and Asia.
Leaves simple, opposite, exstiimlate, deciduous, rarely ev ergreen ; variously
lobed, toothed. Flowers axillary, co-rymbose. Fruit a samara.
Decaying leaves ricli yellow in some, and red or brown in others.
Several of the species produce useful timber; and sugar is one of the constituent
parts of the sap of all of them. They all [irefer a situation sheltered
rather than exposed ; a free, deep, loamy soil, rich rather than sterile,
and neither very wet, nor very dry. They are propagated hy seeds and layers,
or by grafting. The maturity of the seed may he proved by opening the key,
and observing if the cotyledons are green, succulent, and (resh ; if the green
colour o f 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 tlie latter method is |jreferable where moles abound, as they
are very fond o f the seeds. Sown in spring, they come up in five or six weeks
afterwards ; witli the exception of those of the A. canijiestre, which never
come up till the second or third year. The seeds should not be covered with
more than 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
ferns, heath, or straw.
A. Leaves simple, or only slightly or occasionally lobed.
2 SÈ I . r i . o b l o 'n g u m Wall. The ohlong-lcaved Maple.
Identification. Wall, in Uitt. ; Dec. P ro d ., I. p. .593. ; Do n ’s Mill., 1. p. 648.
Synonymes. A. /aurifolium D. Don, Prod. Fl. Nep. p. 249. ; A. B ta im p am Hamilt.
Engravings. Our fig s. 121, 122-, reduced to our usual sca le ; and th e figures of th e leaves, of the
natura l size, as given in the plate, p. 95.
Spiec. Char., êçc. Leaves oblong-
lanceolate, acuminated, quite entire,
coriaceous, smooth, rounded
a t the base. Racemes compound ;
wings o f fruit parallel, smooth, separated.
(Doris Mill.) A low,
deciduous tree ; in Britain, a
rather tender shrub. Nepal.
Height 20 ft. Introduced in 1824.
Flowers greenish yellow ; F ebruary. 122.
K e y s ? ; ripe?.
121. A. oblóngum.
This species is rather tender, and somewhat difficult to keep in the open
ground, unless when planted against a wall. Though the leaves are generally
entire, yet they are sometimes lobed, or show a tendency to become so.