Family: Sapindaceae Genus: Acer Common name: Maple, auró, rotaboc, blada. Flowering time: March to May. Life forms: Macrophanerophyte (Macrofaneròfit). Habitats: Mountain holm oak woods. Crags and cliffs. Small-leaved oak (Quercus faginea). Rock crevices and walls. Features: It is a deciduous tree that lives in shady areas, usually rooted in the crevices of rocky walls. It is a relic of a vegetation typical of a more humid climate than the present one. The fruits are very characteristic, appearing in pairs, each with a long membranous wing (samara); Fraxinus angustifolia, also a deciduous tree, has a winged fruit, but in this case it is solitary rather than paired. Notes: It flowers at the same time as it sheds its leaves. Information taken from the website http://herbarivirtual.uib.es/ and from Pellicer, Joan (2000). Costumari Botànic. Edicions del Bullent. |