Acer miyabei (Miyabe's or Miyabe maple; Japanese: クロビイタヤ: kurobiitaya) is a species of maple native to Japan, where it occurs in Hokkaidō and the Tōhoku region in northern Honshū.Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins .
Description It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree growing to tall, with a trunk diameter with rough, grey-brown bark. The leaves are five-lobed (the basal pair of lobes usually small), long and broad, with a long petiole; the petiole bleeds white latex if cut. The flowers are produced in spring at the same time as the leaves open, yellow-green, in erect corymbs. The fruit is a samara with two winged seeds aligned at 180°, each seed wide, flat, with a wing.Les Erables: Acer miyabei (in French)
It is an endangered species, confined to scattered locations close to streams and rivers.Red List of Threatened Plants of Japan
There are two varieties:Search for kurobiitaya (in Japanese) ; google translation Acer miyabei var. miyabei. Samaras downy. Acer miyabei var. shibatai (Nakai) Hara. Samaras hairless.
It is closely related to Acer miaotaiense from China—some authors treat this as a subspecies of A. miyabei, as Acer miyabei subsp. miaotaiense (P.C.Tsoong) E.Murray—and to Acer campestre from Europe.
Cultivation and uses This tree is cultivated as an ornamental plant in the United States, but is not common in trade. It is most often found in arboreta. It withstands cold temperatures, urban conditions, and drought once established. It is a non-invasive substitute for Acer platanoides. A dense, uniform cultivar has been selected at the Morton Arboretum named Acer miyabei 'Morton' and marketed under the trade name State Street® maple.
References
External links Miyabe Maple - Acer miyabei Diagnostic photos, Morton Arboretum specimens State Street® maple Description and photos from Chicagoland Grows®