Acer elegantulum

Acer elegantulum is characterized by its velutinous ovary and nearly glabrous abaxial veins and petiole. Acer pubinerve differs by its velutinous abaxial veins and petiole. These two taxa are difficult to distinguish and possibly can be combined. They differ from A. sinense by their smaller papery leaves, slender petioles, smaller samaras, and velutinous ovary.

Trees to 15 m tall, andromonoecious. Bark on trunk dark brown, scabrous; bark on branches green. Petiole 2.8-6 cm, glabrous; leaf blade abaxially light green, adaxially green, somewhat broader than long, 5-13 × 7-16 cm, thinly papery, primary veins 5, level on both surfaces, lateral veins not distinct, adaxially glabrous, abaxially glabrous with exception of axillary tufts and pubescent or glabrous on primary veins, usually 5-lobed or rarely 7-lobed, base truncate or broadly cordate; lobes ovate or oblong, basal lobes smaller, margin serrulate, apex acute to caudate-acuminate. Inflorescence paniculate, terminal on a 2-leaved branchlet; peduncles 2-3 cm. Sepals 5, light green, ovate to oblong, ca. 2 mm. Petals 5, light green, obovate or oblong-obovate, ca. 2 mm. Stamens 8. Disk glabrous, extrastaminal. Ovary villous. Samara glabrous; nutlets convex, ca. 6 × 5 mm; wings spreading obtusely, wing including nutlet 2-2.5 cm × 8-10 mm. Fl. May, fr. Sep.

S Anhui, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang.

● Mountains, forests, usually in valleys; 200-1400 m.

Acer elegantulum var. macrurum W. P. Fang & P. L. Chiu; A. olivaceum W. P. Fang & P. L. Chiu; A. yaoshanicum W. P. Fang.