7. Species discernment .................................................... Japanese

In botanical encyclopedias we can see examples of detailed discriminations on Aceraceae, but it's fairly difficult for us the common people to understand and utilize them.

Here, let's see the whole leaf forms of Japanese maples that I can offer, and see the typical leaf form of each maple at first.

Leaf forms of Japanese maples

1

A. palmatum

11

A. buer. var. formosanum

21

A. ukurunduense

2

A. matsumurae

12

A. rufinerve

22

A. cissifolium

3

A.amoenum

13

A. capillipes

23

A. nikoense

4

A. japonicum

14

var. morifolium

24

A. carpinifolium

5

A. sieboldianum

15

A. crataegifolium

25

A. distylum

6

A. shirasawanum

16

A. tschonoskii

26

A. argutum

7

A. tenuifolium

17

var. australe

27

A. ginnala

8

A. mono

18

A. micranthum

28

A. oblongum

9

var. marmoratum

19

A. diabolicum

29

A. pycnanthum

10

A. buergerianum

20

A. nipponicum

30

A. miyabei

Then, let me show you colorful autumn leaves .


Colorful autumn leaves of maples from Central district in Japan

Next, let me show typical themes of disernment by the difference in the leaves.

1. Discrimination of palm-like group, such as Acer palmatum, Acer matsumurae and Acer amoeneum

2. Uchiwa (fan)-like group, such as A.japonicum, A.sieboldianum, A.tenuifolium and A.shirasawanum

3. 3-lobed group, such as A. pycnanthum, A. buergerianum and A. crataegifolium

4. 3-foliolate group, such as A. cissifolium, A. nikoense and A. negundo

5. Striped-look bark group, such as A. rufinerve, A. capillipes and their companions

6. A.pictum (mono) and its companions

Let me show you A.mono and its companions as examples of maples whose leaves have various shapes. This group includes such subspecies as ezo-itaya, aka-itaya, itomaki-itaya and enkou-kaede. Well, kurobi-itaya is regarded as a different species from A.pictum.

A.pictum and its companions

1

subsp.pictum, f.ambiguum

5

subsp. glaucum

2

subsp. savatieri

6

subsp.taishakuense

3

subsp.mono, f.mono

7

subsp. dissectum, f.dissectum

4

subsp. mayrii

8

subsp. dissectum, f. connivens

7. Leaves of other species in Japan


1

tetsu-kaede (A. nipponicum)

2

kaji-kaede (A. diabolicum)

3

karakogi-kaede (A.aidzuense)

4

hitotsuba-kaede (A. distylum)

5

chidorinoki (A. carpinifolium)

6

asanoha-kaede (A. argutum)

7

ogarabana (A. ukurunduense)

 

Maples & Japanese maples : Species discernment