Acer japonicum
Japanese Maple (Acer japonicum)
The Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) or purple leaf compartments Maple is a small tree or shrub of the genus of the maples in the family of Soapberry ( Sapindaceae ). The natural range is in Japan.
Description
The Japanese maple is an 8 to 10 meter high tree or shrub with whitish gray breitkroniger to gray- brown bark and reddish to gray, hairless stems. The 8 to 14 centimeters broad leaves have seven to neunlappig, rarely elflappig with more or less circular outline and heart- shaped base. The lobes are ovate, pointed, cut to about the Spreitenmitte and doubly serrate. The leaves are bright green, silky pubescent at first, later glabrous. The underside is glabrous except the nerves. The petiole is 2-4 cm long, densely hairy white hairs until the time of flowering, later glabrous. In the autumn the leaves turn a deep red. The flowers are about 10 to 15 in long -stalked, slightly silky hairy cymes. The individual flowers are 1 to 1.5 inches wide and have five purple sepals and five slightly smaller, more or less pink petals. The flowers appear from April to May The fruits are 2 to 2.5 inches long, at first hairy, later glabrous with a right angle to horizontal spread- wing. The fruits ripen in September. The chromosome number is.
Distribution and ecology
The distribution area is located in Japan on the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. In China, it is cultivated in the provinces of Jiangsu and Liaoning. The Japanese maple grows in shrub fields and hedgerows, on fresh to moist, acidic to neutral, nutrient-rich, sandy to loamy humus rich soils in full sun to light shade, summer cool locations. He is usually frost hardy.
Systematics and history of research
The Japanese maple (Acer japonicum ) is a species of the genus maples ( Acer) in the family of Soapberry ( Sapindaceae ). There he is assigned to the section Palmata series Palmata. The first description was in 1784 by Carl Peter Thunberg in the Systema Vegetabilium: secundum classes ordines genera species cum characteribus et differentiis. Editio decima quarta.
Use
The species is very commonly used due to their impressive autumn color as ornamental tree. Several cultivars are distinguished:
- ' Aconitifolium ': 15 to 20 inches wide and deeply cut leaves and fiederschnittigen cloth. The leaves are light green and color in the fall conspicuous brownish red to carmine.
- ' Vitifolium ': An up to 15 meters high, tree-like shrub with deeply lobed leaves. The leaves turn scarlet in autumn, orange, crimson and yellow.