Acer opalus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Sapindales

Familia: Sapindaceae
Subfamilia: Hippocastanoideae
Tribus: Acereae
Genus: Acer
Species: Acer opalus
Name

Acer opalus Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8: n.º 8 (1768).
Synonyms

Heterotypic
Acer montanum Carradori ex Lam., Fl. Franç. 2: 553 (1779).
Acer italum Lauth, de Acere: 8 (1781).
Acer rotundifolium Lam., Encycl. 2: 382 (1786).
Acer hispanicum Pourr., Mém. Acad. Sci. Toulouse 3: 305 (1788).
Acer leptopterum Guss. ex Nyman, Consp. Fl. Eur.: 135 (1878).
Acer bosniacum K.Malý, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 56: 95 (1906).
Acer rupicola Chabert, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 57: 45 (1910).
Acer opalus subsp. hispanicum (Pourr.) A.E.Murray, Kalmia 1: 4 (1969).
Acer opalus f. glaucum A.E.Murray, Kalmia 8: 19 (1978).
Acer opalus f. pubescens A.E.Murray, Kalmia 8: 19 (1978).
Acer opalus var. montsiccianum (Font Quer) Romo, Fl. Veg. Montsec: 189 (1989).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Europe
Middle Europe
Germany, Switzerland.
Southwestern Europe
Corse, France, Spain.
Southeastern Europe
Italy.
Asia-Temperate
Caucasus
Transcaucasus.
Western Asia
Turkey.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Additional references

Murray, A.E., 1970. A monograph of the Aceraceae. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University. Reference page.
Gelderen, D.M. van, Jong, P.C.de & Oterdoom, H.J. 1994. Maples of the world. Timber Press, Portland, Or., 458 pp. ISBN 0-88192-000-2. Reference page.
Govaerts, R.H.A. 1995. World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2). 483, 529 pp. MIM, Deurne. ISBN 90-341-0852-X (issue 1) ISBN 90-341-0853-8 (issue 2). Reference page.

Links

USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Acer opalus in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Crowley, D. & Rivers, M.C. 2018. Acer opalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. IUCN Red List Category: Least Concern. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T193844A2285496.en.
Hassler, M. 2021. Acer opalus. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2021 February 24. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Acer opalus in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 February 24. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Acer opalus. Published online. Accessed: 24 February 2021.

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Schneeball-Ahorn
English: Italian Maple
suomi: Italianvaahtera
français: Érable à feuilles d'obier
hornjoserbsce: Šwicarski klon
italiano: Acero italico
polski: Klon włoski
slovenščina: Italijanski javor

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.[3][4][5]

Description

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.[4]
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[6] However the characteristics are not always constant, so no subspecies are recognized by the Flora Europaea.[3][4] 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.[6]
References

The International Plant Names Index
The Plant List, Acer opalus Mill.
Flora Europaea: Acer opalus
Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins. ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
Altervista Flora Italiana, Acer opalus Mill.
Moore, D.; White, J. (2005) [1st pub. 2002]. "Maples". The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees (2nd ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber press. p. 627. ISBN 0-88192-751-1.