The snakebark maple (Acer rufinerve) belongs to Aceraceae (the Maple family). It is a semi-tall deciduous tree that is native to Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu in Japan. This tree grows in sunny mountainous or hilly areas and can reach 8-10 m in height. The bark of young trees is green with longitudinal dark-green stripes. Its pattern resembles that of the Oriental melon (Cucumis melo var. makuwa). The bark turns light brown to brown when mature, though the stripes remain. The leaves are large at 10-15 cm long and shallowly divided into 3-5 lobes. They turn yellow to reddish brown in fall. (edit by Greg Brockelbank)