''Acer distylum'', the lime-leaved maple or linden leaved maple, is a species of flowering plant 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 ...

, native to north Honshu Island of Japan. Its closest relative is ''

Acer nipponicum ''Acer nipponicum'', occasionally called the Nippon maple, is a species of maple native to Japan. It belongs to the ''Acer'' section ''Parviflora''. Description and range ''Acer nipponicum'' is a medium-sized deciduous tree, growing to between < ...

'', with which it is grouped in the ''Acer'' section ''Parviflora''. The species is noted for its unlobed leaves, the like of which are not found in any other maple species. The bark is grayish, and has a pink cast in young specimens. ''Acer distylum'' was first described by

Philipp Franz von Siebold Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (17 February 1796 – 18 October 1866) was a German physician, botanist and traveler. He achieved prominence by his studies of Japanese flora (plants), flora and fauna (animals), fauna and the introduction of ...

and

Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini (10 August 1797 – 18 February 1848) was a German botanist, Professor of Botany at the University of Munich. He worked extensively with Philipp Franz von Siebold, assisting in describing his collections from Japan, but al ...

in 1845, and later brought to Europe by

Charles Maries Charles Maries (18 December 1851 – 11 October 1902) was an English botanist and plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London to search for new hardy plants in Japan, China and Taiwan between 1877 and 1879; there he dis ...

in 1879.

Distribution

''Acer distylum'' is endemic to Japan, growing on fertile soils in the northern part 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 ...

, but even there it is rather rare.

Habitat and ecology

''Acer distylum'' can be found mostly in woodland or garden canopy. ''Acer distylum'' is a treelike shrub to 10 m tall under favorable conditions, otherwise a much smaller shrub, with yellow-gray branches that are rather densely branched. Charles Maries introduced it in 1879 to Great Britain for Veitch Nursery, although Siebold and Zuccarini made the description in 1845. It is rather rare in Great Britain, but good specimens can be found in several gardens and collections.

Morphology

Deciduous trees or large shrubs, small to medium height (5–10 m tall), yellow-gray branches that are rather densely branched. Leaves are undivided, deeply cordate, margins crenate, ovate, not lobed, 10–15 cm long and 5–8 cm wide, gray-green. Undersides pale green, shining and glabrous, pinkish gray when young. The fall color is yellow. Flowers are sepals hairy; discs lobed; stamens inserted between the lobes.

Flowers and fruit

''Acer distylum'' has pale green inflorescences that are 7–10 cm long, and flower in May to June, fruits 3–3.5 cm. The flowers are monoecious. The flowers' sepals are hairy, discs lobed, and stamens inserted between the lobes. Yellow on very erect spikes, small, nodding from the erect pedicels. Fruits are born on conspicuous erect racemes; nutlets with rounded wings about 3 cm long.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q13479954 distylum Endemic flora of Japan Trees of Japan Plants described in 1845 Taxa named by Philipp Franz von Siebold Taxa named by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini