Field maple belongs to the genus Acer and is a member of the maple family (Aceraceae).
Field maple (Acer campestre) is a deciduous tree growing to 20m and flowering May to June.
Lifespan: 250–350 years.
Characteristics
Bark is brown-grey, fissured and flaky. Twigs are downy. Leaves are opposite, dark green, palmate with three to five lobes that are slightly toothed (4–7cm), hairless above, downy on the underside. The leaf stalk produces latex when cut.
Flowers look like ‘perfect’ hermaphrodite flowers (both sexes represented on one flower). However, they are in fact unisexual and will be dominantly male or female. Flowers are small, yellow-green, cup-shaped (approx. 6mm), in clusters. Fruits are in pairs, encapsulated in green-red propeller-shaped wings.
Field maple is insect pollinated but is capable of self-pollination. Seeds are distributed by the wind.
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