Acer morifolium

Mulberry-leaf maple or yaku maple is in the soapberry or Sapindaceae family and is native to all of Japan, specifically Ryukyu chain of islands, Tanegashima and Yakushima. It is a shrub or small tree reaching up to 12 m in height, the central stem branching often 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.

• Leaves are deciduous, simple, opposite, 5–9 cm and 2–4 cm broad, unlobed and ovate to cordate (sometimes remotely 3 or 5-lobed), upper face irregularly toothed, ovate-triangular, lustrous dark green and often bronzed, lower surface pale green with slight rusty pubescence, later almost glabrous, 6-8 lateral veins on each side of the midrib, margins conspicuously double-serrate, apex pointed; petiole 3–8 cm long, bright red and grooved; autumn colour is golden-yellow with hints of red.
• Species is dioecious; flowers are on racemes 6-10 cm long, each yellow-green, 5-numerous.
• Fruit is a paired samara, each 1.5-2 cm long, yellowish brown when mature, wings spreading horizontally.