How to identify Japanese Maple
Identify Japanese Maple by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Palmately lobed maple leaves, ornamental (Japanese maple).
- Confirm leaf type: Simple (single blade).
- Confirm leaf margin: Lobed.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Cyme.
- Confirm fruit type: Samara.
- In India, compare location records such as Sikkim, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.
- Confirm it sits within the Sapindaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Japanese Maple.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Acer palmatum
- Genus
- Acer
- Family
- Sapindaceae
- Found in India
- Sikkim, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Simple (single blade)recorded
- Leaf margin
- LobedrecordedThe edge is divided into rounded or pointed sections that don't reach the midrib.“The leaves are 4–12 cm (1+1⁄2–4+3⁄4 in) long and wide, palmately lobed with five, seven, or nine acutely pointed lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Japanese Maple itself; the rest are typical of the Sapindaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower arrangement
- CymerecordedA branched cluster where the central/terminal flower opens first.“The flowers are produced in small cymes, the individual flowers with five red or purple sepals and five whitish petals.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- SamararecordedA dry, winged fruit adapted for wind dispersal.“The fruit is a pair of winged samaras, each samara 2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 in) long with a 6–8 mm (1⁄4–5⁄16 in) seed.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Japanese Maple itself; the rest are typical of the Sapindaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Japanese Maple
Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) is a species in the Sapindaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Sikkim, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
Uses
In practice it is long used in traditional medicine and planted as an ornamental. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
Sapindaceae
Soapberry/Lychee family
Japanese Maple belongs to the Sapindaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sapindaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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