"Itaya-kaede" (Acer mono) belongs to Aceraceae (the Maple family). It is a tall deciduous tree that is distributed widely in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and China. This tree grows in mountainous areas and can reach 15-20 m in height. This is a typical maple species with yellow fall foliage. The bark is dark gray and shallowly furrowed when old. The leaves are 7-15 cm wide and palmately divided into 5-7 lobes. The yellowish-green flowers bloom in April to May, and the fruits are samaras with square to acute-angled wings that turn brown when ripe. This tree's sap, the sweetest of any Japanese maple, is used to enhance the aroma of cigarettes. (edit by Greg Brockelbank) Also known as "ezo-itaya" in Japan, in Chinese it is called "五角楓" (wu jiao feng).