Negundo
(said to be a native Asiatic name). Box Elder. ORD. Sapindaceae. A small genus (four species) of hardy trees, allied to Acer; they are natives of temperate North America and Japan. Flowers dioecious, small, long-stalked, pendulous, unfolding before the leaves; the males cymose-fasciculate, the females racemose and shortly pedicellate. Leaves opposite, pinnately three to five-foliolate; leaflets petiolulate, induplicate in vernation. For culture, see Acer.
N. aceroides (Maple-like).* fl. green, dioecious; males in fascicles, on filiform pedicels; females in racemes; petals absent. Spring. l. pinnate, with three to five opposite, coarsely and deeply toothed leaflets, with the odd one usually three-lobed. h. 40ft. North America, 1688. A very ornamental tree. SYN. N. fraxinifolium.
N. a. crispum (curled). A form having its leaves variously cut and curled, but not nearly so vigorous as the type.
N. a. laciniatum (laciniated). l. more deeply cut than those of N. a. crispum. This is also less vigorous than the typical species. N. a. variegatum (variegated).* A handsome variegated-leaved kind. N. cissifolium (Cissus-leaved). l. trifoliolate, small, light green. h. 5ft. to 10ft. Japan. An elegant small species. SYN. Acer cissifolium. N. fraxinifolium (Ash-leaved). A synonym of N. aceroides. N. nikoense (Niko). l. trifoliolate, shortly stalked, the petioles and under surfaces of which, as well as the shoots, the buds, and the cells of the large fruits, are very hairy. Japan, 1881. A most distinct species.