Italian maple

Description

Acer opalus, the 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. Acer opalus is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 20 metres (66 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter. The leaves are glossy green, 7-13 centimetres (2.8–5.1 in) long and 5-16 centimetres (2.0-6.3 in) across, palmately lobed with blunt teeth. They turn yellow in autumn. The bark is grey and pinkish. 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 up to 1 centimetre (0.39 in) in diameter with a 1.5-2.5 centimetres (0.59-0.98 in) wing. Subspecies Acer opalus trees with shallowly lobed leaves are sometimes separated as a distinct subspecies Acer opalus subsp. obtusatum. The subspecies was originally described as a separate species in 1806 but was reduced to subspecies status by 1925. However the characteristics are not always constant, so no subspecies are recognized by the Flora Europaea. Two other subspecies have occasionally been recognized, Acer opalus subsp. hispanicus ranging from Spain to the Caucasus Mountains, and Acer opalus subsp. opalus ranging through France, Switzerland, Corsica, and Italy down to some parts of North Africa. Acer opalus is a species of Magnoliopsida. Acer opalus belongs to the genus Acer, and the family Sapindaceae. Acer is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae. There are approximately 132 species, most of which are native to Asia, with a number also appearing in Europe, northern Africa, and North America. Only one species, Acer laurinum, extends to the Southern Hemisphere. The type species of the genus is the sycamore maple, Acer pseudoplatanus, the most common maple species in Europe. The maples usually have easily recognizable palmate leaves (Acer negundo is an exception) and distinctive winged fruits. The closest relatives of the maples are the horse chestnuts. Maple syrup is made from the sap of some maple species.