‘2050

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART 111.

stead of the face, as is the case with the bark of most other trees. Thebark of the young shoots is smooth, and of a yellowish green colour.The leaves are alternate, and on rather long petioles ; they vary in size from3in. to 6 in. in diameter; and they are palmate; that is, they are divided intofive deeply cut lobes, which are finely denticulated at the edge. When theyfirst expand, a small tuft of reddish down is perceptible at the back of themiddle rib of each leaf. “ In warm weather, a viscous substance exudes from theleaves of those trees which have grown on dry ground; and, when bruised, theyemit a sensible aromatic odour.” (Michaux.) The male and female catkins,which appear about March or April, are on different branches of the same tree.The male are oval, and about 1 x in.in length; the female ones are not conspicu-ous. “ The fruit is globular, and bristling with points. When arrived at maturity,it is about lx in. in diameter, and is suspended by a flexible pedicel, 1 in. or2 in. long : the globes, which are green at first, and afterwards yellow, are com-posed of a great number of closely connected capsules. At the beginning ofautumn, these capsules open, and give liberty to the seeds, which are small,blackish, oblong, compressed, and surmounted by a wing. Each capsule con-tains one or two seeds, united with a number of minute bodies, incapable ofgermination.” (Id.) The leaves die off of an intensely deep purplish red,more or less mixed with orange, and with some leaves entirely of that colour.They hang on the trees till the first frosts, when they drop off simultaneously.The rate of growth of this tree, in the climate of London, is from 8 ft. to 10 ft.in 10 years from the seed; and in 20 years it will attain the height of25 ft. or 30 ft., and flower and ripen fruit. In good soil, and sheltered situ-ations, the tree will attain the height of upwards of 60 ft., there being treesexceeding this size at Woburn Farm, Chertsey, and at Strathfieldsaye. Thesetrees flower and produce fruit; but it has not been observed whether theseeds arrive at maturity. The longevity of the tree is probably not great,from its growing in marshy situations, and from the want of durability in itswood.

Geography. The liquidambar spreads through nearly two thirds of theUnited States, and through a great part of Mexico. In North America, itsmost northern point is between Philadelphia and Boston, lat. 43° 30' n. ; andit extends westward as far as the Illinois River. “ In the middle, western, andsouthern states,” says Michaux, “ the sweet gum is sufficiently abundant to benumbered among the most common trees ; and it is met with wherever thesoil is fertile, cool, and exposed to temporary inundations. In the south, itgrows, also, in the great swamps that border the rivers; and there, owing,doubtless, to the mildness of the winters, and the intense heat of the summers,it displays its amplest dimensions.” The largest trees grow in moist richsoils; but, where the soil is dry and gravelly, the tree does not attain half itsusual size. The largest tree observed by Michaux “ was in a swamp five orsix miles from Augusta, in Georgia. At 5 ft. from the ground, it was 15 ft.7 in. in circumference; and its head was broad and spreading in proportion tothe size of its trunk. It is found, in the American forests, in company withthe chestnut white oak (Quercus Prinus palustris), the willow oak (Q.Phellos), the wahoo ( U'lmus alata), the black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), the redmaple (/Peer rubrum), the red ash (Fraxinus tomentosa), and the blackash ( F. sambucifolia).” (Michaux.) In Mexico, the liquidambar is generallyfound in moist valleys, where it attains an enormous size.

History. The first record we find of the liquidambar appears to be in awork written by Francis Hernandez, a Spanish naturalist and physician, whowas sent out by Philip II. of Spain to examine and describe the natural pro-ductions of Spanish America. This work, which professed to be a historyof the plants, animals, and minerals of Mexico, was originally published inthat country, in Spanish, under the care, and with the name, of FatherXimenes; but it was afterwards republished, in Latin, at Rome, with the nameof the real author attached, in 1651. Dr. Hernandez describes the liquidambar,or Xochiochotzo-Quahieliel, as he calls it, as being a large tree, and producina fragrant gum, which, from its appearance, gave the idea of amber in

tO 03