Acer caudatum

Candle-shape maple is in the soapberry or Sapindaceae family and is native to the Himalayas (Tibet, Nepal, northern and northeastern India, Myanmar), China (the mountains of southwestern China – provinces of Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan), plus Japan, Korea, and eastern Russia. It can reach up to 10 m in height.

Acer caudatum var. ukurunduense is a well-recognized subspecies.

• Branchlets are stout with elliptic or oblong lenticels, winter buds are ovoid, outer scales ovate.
• Leaves are deciduous, simple, opposite, 8–10 cm long and wide, papery, palmate, 5 (7) lobed, lobes ovate or triangular-ovate, margin doubly and sharply serrate with pointed teeth, tip pointed; upper surface is dark green, lower surface pale green; petiole is red, 5–9 cm long.
• Species is dioecious; inflorescences [flowers] are red, compact, 2–3 cm stems with small flowers attached to 8–10 cm long stocks; flowers are 5-morous.
• Fruit is yellowish brown; double samaras, nutlets ovoid-subglobose, veined; wing including nutlet 2.5–2.8 cm long, wings spreading acutely.