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The "Shima-uri-kaede" (Acer insulare) belongs to Aceraceae (the Maple family). It is a semi-tall deciduous tree that is found on Amami-Ohshima and Tokuno-shima islands of Japan and Taiwan. This tree grows on the edges of woods in hilly and mountainous areas, and can reach 5-10 m in height. The bark has gray and green longitudinal lines, just like the Hawthorn-leaved maple. The leaves are ovate to ovate-oblong with caudal tips, and entire or slightly trilobate. The inconspicuous pale yellowish-green flowers bloom in March. The leaves turn bright yellow in fall. (edit by Greg Brockelbank) In Tawanese Chinese, it is called "尖葉槭".
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