Acer crataegifolium

Hawthorn-leaf maple or uri maple is in the soapberry or Sapindaceae family and is native to all of Japan, from central Honshū to Kyūshū and Shikoku. It is a small tree, reaching up to 10 m in height, the central stem branching into multiple stems.

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.

• Young shoots are slender, green to purplish-red and the buds purplish-red.
• Leaves are deciduous, of variable shape, 5–8 cm (rarely to 15 cm) long and 3–4 cm broad, irregularly toothed, ovate-triangular, unlobed or 3 (5) lobed, lobes shallow, young leaves with tufts of hairs in the axils of veins; leaves dark green to bluish green and often tinged reddish above, and turn yellow in autumn; petiole is red, 2–3 cm long.
• Species is dioecious; flowers are yellowish white, small, produced on erect to pendulous racemes 3–5 cm long, produced in April along with the young leaves.
• Fruit is a glabrous paired samara, hanging in pendulous racemes; samara is 2–2.5 cm long, wings 1 cm wide, spreading nearly horizontally.