| Acer opalus Italian Maple |
|
|---|---|
| Italian Maple leaves in autumn | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Genus: | Acer |
| Species: | A. opalus |
| Binomial name | |
| Acer opalus Mill. |
|
Acer opalus (Italian Maple) is a species of maple native to the hills and mountains of southern and western Europe, from Italy to Spain and north to southern Germany, and also in northwest Africa in Morocco and Algeria.[1][2]
Acer opalus is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 20 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter. The leaves are glossy green, 7-13 cm long and 5-16 cm across, palmately lobed with blunt teeth. They turn yellow in autumn. The bark is grey and pink. It peels in square plates. It has small yellow flowers that open before the leaves appear. The fruit is a pair of winged samaras, each seed 1 cm diameter with a 1.5-2.5 cm wing.[2]
Acer opalus trees with shallowly lobed leaves are sometimes separated as a distinct subspecies Acer opalus subsp. obtusatum.
The characteristics are not always constant, and the species is treated as monotypic by the Flora Europaea.[1][2]