About Acer oblongum Wall. ex DC.
Acer oblongum Wall. ex DC. is a medium-sized evergreen to semi-deciduous tree that reaches a height of roughly 15 to 22 metres (49 to 72 feet). Unlike most other maples, this species retains its green foliage through the winter. Its trunks are buttressed, and its bark ranges from smooth to wrinkled. Leaves are arranged oppositely, are ovate-lanceolate with smooth entire margins, have a 5 to 12 cm long petiole, and show dark green on the upper surface and glaucous green on the underside. Young shoots are reddish bronze and covered in fine hairs. The flowers are hermaphroditic, small and inconspicuous, measuring about 4 mm across, greenish white, and arranged in hairy racemes. Fruits are the characteristic two-winged samaras typical of maples, about 2.5 cm long, and are dispersed by wind. This species has been introduced for its timber, and it is sometimes cultivated in large gardens for its evergreen foliage. Acer oblongum is widespread across central, eastern, and southeastern Asia. Its range extends from Tibet and northern India east to Japan, and includes southern China and northern Indochina. It prefers the humid climate of Himalayan forests, especially growing alongside streams, at elevations between roughly 600 and 2,000 metres (2,000 to 6,600 feet) above sea level.
