| Acer oblongum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Genus: | Acer |
| Species: | A. oblongum |
| Binomial name | |
| Acer oblongum Wall. ex DC. |
|
Acer oblongum, common name Himalayan Maple, Evergreen Maple and Kashmir Maple, is a species of maple belonging to the Sapindaceae family.
Contents |
Acer oblongum is a medium-sized evergreen to semi-deciduous tree reaching a height of approximately 15–22 metres (49–72 ft). Unique among maples, this plant stays green all winter. The trunks are buttressed, with a smooth to wrinkled bark. Leaves are opposite, ovate-lanceolate with entire margin and petiolated, 5-12 cm long, with glaucous-green underside and dark green upperside. The young shoots are reddish bronze and finely hairy. The flowers are hermaphrodite, small and inconspicuous, about 4 mm, greenish white, gathered in hairy racemes. The fruits are represented by the typical two-winged samaras, about 2.5 cm long, wind dispersed. It has been introduced for its wood and it is sometimes cultivated in large gardens for its evergreen foliage.
This species grows in hilly regions of Asia at the foot of the western Himalayas, in Nepal, Kashmir in India, Pakistan and southwestern China.
Acer oblongum prefers humid climate of the Himalayan forests, especially along streams, at an elevation of about 600–2,000 metres (2,000–6,600 ft) above sea level.