Field Maple at Isaacs, ACT
Identification history
| Acer campestre | 29 Apr 2025 | MichaelMulvaney | ||
| Acer buergerianum | 16 Apr 2025 | MichaelMulvaney | ||
| Acer sp. (genus) | 15 Apr 2025 | Mike |
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13 comments
Mike
wrote:
24 Apr 2025
@MichaelMulvaney, this is not A. buergerianum. I have added photo showing more clearly that fruit is on individual stalks and not joined V shaped samaras (or is this how they dry?). Seed is flat and wing shape is different.
Mike
wrote:
24 Apr 2025
I have compared the fruit with Acer palmatum (which I have plenty of) and see that the 'individual stalks' are hidden inside pairs of seeds until they ripen and separate. Angle between seeds is close to 180 degrees, so not a V-shape.
MichaelMulvaney
wrote:
24 Apr 2025
Mike - I don't think single stemmed Acer's exist see
https://hortflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/taxon/ad9c45d0-5340-11e7-b82b-005056b0018f
so not sure what is happening here
https://hortflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/taxon/ad9c45d0-5340-11e7-b82b-005056b0018f
so not sure what is happening here
Mike
wrote:
24 Apr 2025
It seems to be a double opposite wing that then splits as it ripens. The fine stalk is hidden until this happens and it is possible to see the matching groove at the end of the seed. You can visualise the two wings fitting back together but not at an angle.
The only key I can find is for the leaves, not the fruit, so I will have to keep checking.
The only key I can find is for the leaves, not the fruit, so I will have to keep checking.
Mike
wrote:
27 Apr 2025
I have updated the photo of fruit (samaras) showing how they are connected before they split and droop.
Mike
wrote:
27 Apr 2025
The key to maples given in https://maplesociety.org/species-list/vegetative-key-to-the-genus-acer/ has A. buergerianum in GROUP G (Acer, Ginnala, Indivisa, Oblonga, Pubescentia): Lamina unlobed or 0-3-lobed, 5-lobed laminas absent. This tree has 3-5 lobed leaves and I think it is Acer campestre; it matches some of the images in the vegetative scans (including the underside of the leaves which I can't add to this sighting).
MichaelMulvaney
wrote:
27 Apr 2025
Mike Acer campestre has pointed leaf lobes while the lobes on these leaves appear to be blunt
Mike
wrote:
27 Apr 2025
That is a reason I did not consider A. campestre before, but I looked at the last two images for the species on maplesociety.org. I haven't tried using their key, and don't know of any other comprehensive ones.
Mike
wrote:
28 Apr 2025
Acer campestre as planted in Hartog St Griffith, https://canberra.naturemapr.org/sightings/4665966.
MichaelMulvaney
wrote:
29 Apr 2025
Mike after viewing this link do you still think that it is Acer campestre. Pointed lobes seems to be a bit of a furphy but hard to see underside of leaf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hQ8-6-UTz4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hQ8-6-UTz4
Mike
wrote:
29 Apr 2025
That's a good video but shows the leaves larger, more deeply lobed with sub-lobes. The underside of the leaves and the fruit match. However his other video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scCfq6yppQE shows field maple leaves in winter which are small and 3-5 lobed, so there is some variability. The sole A. campestre planted in Forest 22 at the Arboretum has small deeply lobed wavy leaves. The Maple Society key gives "All lobe apices obtuse to acute. . A. campestre" so pointed lobes is a furphy. Definitely not Acer buergerianum planted in Forest 73. I have more photos showing size, shape and underneath but would need to put them as an additional sighting.
MichaelMulvaney
wrote:
29 Apr 2025
Thanks Mike, for my PhD I collated all woody ornamental exotic planting records in Canberra up to 1980. I found records of 21 different species of Acer being planted in Canberra of which Acer campestre was ranked 13th in terms of abundance of plantings. Acer Campestre is the best fit of the 21 species for this sighting and I am therefor happy to identify it as such
Mike
wrote:
29 Apr 2025
I saw your list and noted that A. campestre was pre-Canberra. Lindsay Pryor's book 'Trees in Canberra' lists Pistachia chinensis for Hartog St Griffith; there is at least one left but the others must have been replaced with A. capestre and A. monspessulanum some time between 1960 and 2001 (which is the date for my other list of trees).
Location information
- Coordinates 149.122972-35.385243
- Altitude 752.0m
- Maps Isaacs Ridge Isaacs Ridge and Nearby
- Places Isaacs, ACT
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- 26 Apr 2025 11:59 AM Recorded on
- Mike Recorded by
-
Collections
Mike NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Other Trees Plants Acer campestre
Additional information
- Greater than 5 metres Plant height
Species information
- Acer campestre Scientific name
- Field Maple Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Exotic
- Medium weed or pest
- 644m to 752m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes