Acer lobelii

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Acer lobelii
Acer lobelii, Mercogliano, Avellino, Campania, Italy 2.jpg
Foliage, in Campania, southern Italy
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Acer
Section: Acer sect. Platanoidea
Species:
A. lobelii
Binomial name
Acer lobelii
Synonyms
  • Acer platanoides subsp. lobelii (Ten.) Gams
  • Acer cappadocicum subsp. lobelii (Ten.) De Jong.

Acer lobelii, known as Lobel's maple [1] [2] or L'Obel's maple [3] is a rare maple tree native to southern Italy and the western Balkans. [4] [5] It is named after the Flemish botanist Matthias de l'Obel. [6] Synonyms include Acer platanoides subsp. lobelii [4] and Acer cappadocicum Gled. subsp. lobelii (Ten.) De Jong. [7] [2]

Contents

Description

Acer lobelii is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing 20–25 metres (66–82 ft) tall with a narrow, erect crown. It is one of very few trees with a naturally fastigiate form. The bark is greenish-grey, smooth in young trees, becoming browner and shallowly furrowed in mature trees. The shoots are green covered by a thick glaucous blue-white wax at first, this wearing off within a year but the older shoots remaining green for several years. [5] [6]

The leaves are opposite, palmately lobed with five lobes, 6–12 centimetres (2.4–4.7 in) long and 6–15 centimetres (2.4–5.9 in) across; the lobes are entire or with one or two irregular teeth. As with its relatives Acer cappadocicum and Acer platanoides , the leaf stems bleed a milky latex when broken. [5]

The flowers are in corymbs, yellow-green with five sepals 3–4 millimetres (0.12–0.16 in) long; flowering occurs in early spring. The fruit is a double samara with two winged seeds, the seeds are disc-shaped, strongly flattened, 6–11 millimetres (0.24–0.43 in) across and 2–3 millimetres (0.079–0.118 in) thick. The wings are 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) long, widely spread, approaching a 180° angle. [5] [8] [6] [9]

Distribution

The species is rare and endangered in Italy, only occurring scattered in small groups in Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests habitats. [10] It was widely considered endemic in southern Italy, [5] [6] [10] but is now also known in the western Balkans (former Yugoslavia), [4] a distribution fairly closely matched by Pinus heldreichii (Bosnian pine).

It is closely related to, and in some respects intermediate between, Acer cappadocicum , from southwestern Asia, and Acer platanoides , from further north in Europe, hence the synonyms cited above. The suggestion has been made that it could be a natural hybrid between them, but differences from both, notably the strongly glaucous bloom on the young shoots, make treatment as a distinct species more reasonable. [5] [6]

Cultivation and uses

Lobel's maple is grown as an ornamental tree in northern Europe, valued for its narrow crown which makes it suitable for planting in confined spaces. [6] Many of the trees in cultivation are grafted on Acer cappadocicum rootstocks, shown by the numerous root sprouts with Acer cappadocicum foliage. [5] [8]

The horticultural hybrid maple Acer × zoeschense is often cited as having Acer lobelii as one of its parents, [8] though more likely Acer cappadocicum. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 Crowley, D.; Rivers, M.C. (2017). "Acer lobelii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T193529A2242167. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T193529A2242167.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Acer cappadocicum subsp. lobelii" . Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  3. ↑ Loudon, J. C. (1838). Arboretum et fruticetum Britannicum. Vol. 1. London: Printed for the author, and sold by Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans. p. 444. doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.95867 . Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  4. 1 2 3 Euro+Med Plantbase Project: Acer lobelii
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins. ISBN   0-00-220013-9.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mitchell, A. F. (1982). The Trees of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins. ISBN   0-00-219037-0.
  7. ↑ Huxley, A. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan. ISBN   0-333-47494-5.
  8. 1 2 3 Mitchell, A. F. (1974). A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins. ISBN   0-00-212035-6.
  9. ↑ Bean, W. J. (1976). Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles 8th ed. Vol. 1. John Murray. ISBN   0-7195-1790-7.
  10. 1 2 Guarino, C., & Napolitano, F. (2006). Community habitats and biodiversity in the Taburno-Camposauro Regional Park. Woodland, rare species, endangered species and their conservation. Forest@ 3 (4): 527-541. p.539: Results. Habitat and species biodiversity.
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