Semenov's maple

Family: Maples. Distributed in Central Asia and in northern and central Afghanistan.

Occurs within the territories of several reserves of Central Asia. Grows in broad-leaved forests on mountain slopes up to 2800 m. A light-loving xeromesophyte.

A small tree, less often a shrub, up to 5–6 m tall, with a pyramidal crown, grey bark, smooth or longitudinally wrinkled, and brown or chestnut shoots. In early age the shoots are pubescent. Externally and by morphological characters it resembles the related Ginnala maple and Tatar maple. It differs from them by the smaller size (4.5 x 3.2 cm) of the dense, three-lobed leaves, dull bluish-green above and lighter beneath. The leaf blade has a large median lobe, often with two rudimentary lobes. Flowers are yellowish, in dense many-flowered inflorescences up to 6 cm long. Fruits are samaras, up to 3 cm long, at the beginning of development bright red or bright pink, mature pale yellow.

Growth rate is moderate during the first 3 years. Flowers from 18 years of age, from June 10 to July 1, for 21 days. Bears fruit from 22 years of age; fruits ripen in mid-September. 18% of summer cuttings root when treated with a 0.01% solution of IMK for 16 hours.

Less ornamental but more drought-resistant than the Ginnala maple; leaves turn golden-yellow in autumn. Used in hedges, borders, and group plantings. In cultivation since 1880.