Acer sempervirens

Crete maple ( Acer sempervirens), leaves

The Crete maple ( Acer sempervirens ) is a plant of the genus maples ( Acer).

Description

The Crete Maple is a deciduous or semi-evergreen tree reaching a height of 8 to 10 ( under favorable conditions to 16) meters, under cattle grazing often remains a low shrub. The bark is dark gray with light brown cracks.

The leaves are 2-5 cm long, leathery and three-lobed, especially when fierce copies but often lobed or unlobed irregular. You are bald and glossy dark green above, lighter. The petiole is only 0.5 to 1.5 cm long.

The flowers are greenish- yellow and are about 5 in almost sessile, erect, later hanging screen grapes. The carpels have parallel or at an acute angle spreading wings.

System

Synonyms for Acer sempervirens L. are Acer creticum auct. non L., Acer orientale auct. non L. and Acer heterophyllum Willd ..

The species is classified in the sub-genus Acer and is again in the monspessulana series.

Dissemination

The Crete - maple is mainly used in Greece in the Aegean Sea. On the mainland, it occurs only in southern and central Peloponnese. On the Aegean island of Samothrace its spread in the north of the Northern Sporades, Euboea, Chios and the Cyclades enough to Crete. In Anatolia there are isolated finds in the mountains on the Aegean coast. Along the southern Turkish coast ranges the distribution area to Antalya.

Location

The Crete Maple comes in Crete in the mountain forests of the limestone mountains at an altitude of 800 to 1500 m before. In damp or shady areas, such as in ravines, along streams and on north-facing slopes, and generally on the smaller islands is the way to a much lower altitudes before. In the north of its range, the species ranges only at altitudes up to 900 m.