About Acer serrulatum Hayata
This species, Acer serrulatum Hayata, is also referenced as Acer oliverianum in the description below. Its bark is smooth, jade green, and marked with fine white waxy stripes. In wild areas of Taiwan, it can reach up to 20 meters in height, while cultivated specimens typically grow only 5 to 8 meters tall. Its branches are roughly horizontal, and the species looks very similar to Acer palmatum, the Japanese maple. Its leaves are opposite and simple, ranging 6 to 10 cm across, with a truncate or cordate base. The leaves are 5-lobed and palmate, with ovate lobes. The middle lobe has 5 to 8 pairs of lateral veins, with fine reticulation on minor veins. The flowers are whitish, with five purplish sepals, five white petals, and eight stamens that are longer than the petals. The glabrous fruits measure 2.5 to 3 cm long, and spread at a wide angle. This maple grows in forests and valleys at elevations between 1000 and 2000 metres. It has only been recorded in Taiwan and China, where it occurs in the provinces of Anhui, Fujian, southern Gansu, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Zhejiang.
