[SOLVED] Maple or Liquidambar?????

[Luke308]

Hi guys and girls,

I went to a wholesale nursery today and found this in the bargain bin for $5. It was next to a standard Acer Palmatum which is what made the differnce in the leaves stand out. I asked the nurseryman if he knew what it was, but he was not certain. At first I thought it was a different cultivar of Japanese Maple, but on looking at the bark and the way the leave stems join the branches I am thinking it is pehaps a liquidambar. Maybe it is a Liquidambar Formosana? Can anyone confirm my suspicions?

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Solved
by Luke308 - Acer truncatum

[Scott Roxburgh]

Looks like liquidamber, does it smell a bit like pepper when you crush up the leaves/stems?

[Luke308]

Looks like liquidamber, does it smell a bit like pepper when you crush up the leaves/stems?

Nope that was one of the other things I tried and it smells nothing like the standard Liquidambar styraciflua's that I have. It just smells like a crushed leaf I just remembered I had a heap of photos on my phone of different cultivar liquidambar's from a different nursery at one pic looks very similar and it is labelled as "Liquidambar styraciflua 'Oakville Highlight' " I am unsure as tho whether the one I have is the same, but very similar. Unfortunately I cant find a lose up photo using google images

[Bougy Fan]

Definitely a Liquid Ambar

[MattA]

Hey Luke,

I would say you have a Liquidambar styraciflua, it is not formosana as it has a tri lobed leaf. It is also unlikely to be 'Oakville Highlight' as it is only a very new variety on the market. From my understanding the only difference is a narrow form compared to a normal styraciflua, I dont know that it would create much issue when grown as a bonsai.

Matt

[Mojo Moyogi]

My money is on Maple, unsure of which though.

Liquidambar have alternate buds.
Maples have opposite buds.

The buds in your pics look opposite to me.

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/sy ... .cfm?ID=53


Cheers,
Mojo

p.s. Liquidambar styraciflua was once called Acer styraciflua, so even botanists had trouble telling them apart.

[Luke308]

My money is on Maple, unsure of which though.

Liquidambar have alternate buds.
Maples have opposite buds.

The buds in your pics look opposite to me.

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/sy ... .cfm?ID=53


Cheers,
Mojo

p.s. Liquidambar styraciflua was once called Acer styraciflua, so even botanists had trouble telling them apart.

When you say the buds look opposite, are you referring to the leaf petiole (stem) where it joins the twigs? If so I will take some better pictures tomorrow to confirm this.

Thanks to all those whom have had some input so far

BTW maybe Shibui or bodhi can add their thoughts?

[Luke308]

Maybe an Acer truncatum? bodhi and shibui, what are your thoughts?

[Joel]

I agree with Mojo, definitely an Acer of some description because of the opposite leaves.

Joel

[shibui]

Sorry Luke, Have not got my references with me at the moment or I'd have a stab.

and Mojo does mean where the leaves are. In the crotch, between the leaf stem and the wood there is a bud just waiting to grow if the tree needs it so opposite leaves = opposite buds. Opposite or alternate leaves/ buds is not just random. It is one of the characteristics that we use to classify plants.

[bodhidharma]

Sorry Luke, cannot help either. It is largely spaced like a phentaphyllem but the leaves are not the same at all. Nishiki could possibly help.

[Luke308]

Well I am at a loss because from the bark it looks nothing like a maple, so i will just have to hope nishiki or someone else can help.

Thanks to everyone so far

[Jerry Meislik]

It is hard to be sure without a good close up of the branch to see how the leaves are arranged. Alternate leaves are Liquidambar while maple is opposite.
Guessing at your close up of the branch, it could be maple.
Flowers and fruit are very different on the two plants.
Jerry

[Luke308]

Here are some better pics of how the leaves are on the branches and also how the bark develops into the rough bark it has on the trunk. I hope we can ID this as it has stumped a few of you

$5-maple or liquidambar 001.jpg

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$5-maple or liquidambar 005.jpg

$5-maple or liquidambar 006.jpg

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[Bougy Fan]

I say the plates of bark and the way the buds come from the branch say Liquid Ambar