Acer micranthum

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Sapindales

Familia: Sapindaceae
Subfamilia: Hippocastanoideae
Tribus: Acereae
Genus: Acer
Species: Acer micranthum
Name

Acer micranthum Siebold & Zucc., Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 4(2): 155 (1845).
Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Asia-Temperate
Eastern Asia
Japan [Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku].

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Additional references

Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (translated by F.G. Meyer & E.M. Walker). 1067 pp. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. BHL Reference page.
Murray, A.E., 1970. A monograph of the Aceraceae. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University. Reference page.
Gelderen, D.M. van, Jong, P.C.de & Oterdoom, H.J. 1994. Maples of the world. Timber Press, Portland, Or., 458 pp. ISBN 0-88192-000-2. Reference page.
Govaerts, R.H.A. 1995. World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2). 483, 529 pp. MIM, Deurne. ISBN 90-341-0852-X (issue 1) ISBN 90-341-0853-8 (issue 2). Reference page.
Iwatsuki, K., Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (eds.) 1999. Flora of Japan IIc. Angiospermae, Dicotyledoneae, Archichlamydeae(c). 328 pp., Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo. ISBN 978-4-06-154606-6 Reference page.
Chang, C.S. & Kim, H. 2003. Analysis of morphological variation of the Acer tschonoskii complex in eastern Asia: implications of inflorescence size and number of flowers within sect. Macrantha. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 143(11): 29-42. DOI: 10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.00191.x Reference page.
Akiyama, S., Thijsse, G., Esser, H.-J. & Ohba, H. 2015. Siebold and Zuccarini's type specimens and original materials from Japan, part 7. Angiosperms. Dicotyledoneae 6. The Journal of Japanese Botany 90(5): 317–341. PDF Reference page.

Links

USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Acer micranthum in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Acer micranthum in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 January 12. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Acer micranthum. Published online. Accessed: 12 January 2020.

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Kleinblütiger Ahorn
English: Komine Maple
日本語: コミネカエデ
русский: Клён мелкоцветковый

Acer micranthum, the small-leaved maple,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Sapindaceae in the snakebark maple group, native to Japan, on Honshū, Kyūshū and Shikoku. Its Japanese name is the Komine maple (Japanese: コミネカエデ, Hepburn: Kominekaede).[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

It is a small, sometimes shrubby tree growing 6–10 m (20–33 ft) tall, with slender, arching branches. The bark is smooth and striped at first, becoming rough and dull grey on mature trees. The shoots and winter buds are dark purple-red. The leaves are 4–10 cm long and 2–8 cm broad, palmately lobed, with five deeply toothed lobes with long acuminate tips and double-serrated margins, and with distinctive tufts of orange-red hairs in the main vein axils at the base of the leaf; the petiole is 2–5 cm long. The leaves emerge red in spring and turn shades of yellow, orange and red[2] in autumn. The flowers are produced in early summer in racemes 4–10 cm long, each flower 4 mm diameter, with five yellow to greenish-yellow sepals and petals; it is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees. The fruit is a paired samara with two rounded nutlets, each with a wing 1.5–2 cm long; the two wings spreading almost horizontally from each other.[3][4][5][6][8][10][11]

It is most closely related to Acer tschonoskii, which replaces it further north and at higher altitudes in Japan; they have very similar leaf form.[8]

Acer micranthum is cultivated as an ornamental tree in European and North American gardens, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[2][12] Though hardy down to −20 °C (−4 °F), it requires a sheltered position in neutral or acid soil with sun or partial shade.

Tree in cultivation, Denmark

Leaves, Rogów Arboretum, Poland

Illustration by Siebold & Zuccarini

References

The International Plant Names Index
"Acer micranthum". www.rhs.org. RHS. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
Kobe city: Acer micranthum Archived 2007-11-30 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese; google translation)
Kanagawa Prefecture trees and shrubs: Acer micranthum Archived 2012-03-23 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese; google translation). Archived 2009-10-24.
Okayama science university: Acer micranthum (in Japanese; google translation)
Kanon tree book: Acer micranthum[permanent dead link] (in Japanese; google translation)
Maple World: Maples of Japan Archived April 2, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
Maple World: Komine-kaede Archived 2013-01-04 at archive.today
"Acer micranthum". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 16 January 2018.
Ishikawa prefecture forestry research institute: Kominekaede Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese; google translation)
Kota's Nature Photo Gallery: Acer micranthum Archived November 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese; google translation)
"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 1. Retrieved 18 February 2019.