''Acer argutum'', commonly known in English as pointed-leaf maple and in Japanese as asanoha-kaede, is a species of

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

flowering tree

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to Japan. It is a member of the genus '' Acer'', in the family

Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1858 accepted species. Examples include horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee. The Sapindaceae occur in tempera ...

. It has an upright growth habit and can reach heights of tall.

Etymology

The genus

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

''acer'' stems from the Latin "''acro-''", which roughly translates to ''sharp'' or ''rise out'', referring to the shape of the leaves. In a similar vein, the species epithet ''argutum'' translates to mean "''with notched edges''".

Distribution and habitat

The pointed-leaf maple is native to areas near bodies of water such as rivers and streams, at elevations of 800–1900 metres. It is found of the woodland, subalpine mountainous areas of

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

and Shikoku in Japan. It is often found at the edges of forests, as it requires partial sunlight; it grows in any type of soil and tolerates all pH levels.

Description

This species is a

tree with an upright habit forming a dense canopy. The wide, green leaves are acuminate with 5 lobes. They change color from green to yellow and orange in autumn. It can grow up to 10 metres tall and 8 metres wide in 10 years. The species is

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

, with separate male and female flowers.

Uses

The sugary

sap Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separa ...

is used as either a drink or made into syrup. The syrup is primarily used as a sweetener, and is sourced by tapping into the trunk during early spring, especially after a period of scarification. The leaves may be used in packaging in order to preserve apples or root crops.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q357629 argutum Flora of Asia Flora of Japan Endemic flora of Japan Trees of Asia Trees of Japan Plants described in 1867 Dioecious plants