Acer stachyophyllum

Spike-leafed maple is in the soapberry or Sapindaceae family and is native to China (provinces of Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan), Myanmar, northern India, Bhutan, and Nepal. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching up to 15 m in height.

It is in the snakebark group of maples identified by: Snakeskin-like bark; buds on stocks, 1 pair of scales; flowers (and double samaras) on pendulous racemes.

• Bark is smooth, yellow-brown, branches glabrous.
• Leaves are deciduous, simple, opposite, thin, papery, ovate or oblong, 5–11 cm long and 2.5–6 cm across, usually no lobes (but occasionally with 3), margin coarsely serrate; autumn colour is yellow.
• Fruit is a winged double samara, 2–2.5 cm long, glabrous; nutlets are oblong, wing including nut is 3.5–5.5 cm x 1–1.5 cm, wings spreading obtusely.