Acer oblongum, common name Himalayan maple, evergreen maple and Kashmir maple,[1] is an evergreen Asian species of maple in the family Sapindaceae.
Acer oblongum is a medium-sized evergreen to semi-deciduous tree reaching a height of approximately 15-. Unique among maples, this plant stays green all winter. The trunks are buttressed, with a smooth to wrinkled bark. Leaves are opposite, ovate-lanceolate with entire margin, with a petiole 5–12 cm long, with glaucous-green underside and dark green upperside. The young shoots are reddish bronze and finely hairy. The flowers are hermaphroditic, small and inconspicuous, about 4 mm, greenish white, gathered in hairy racemes. The fruits are represented by the typical two-winged samaras, about 2.5 cm long, wind dispersed. It has been introduced for its wood and it is sometimes cultivated in large gardens for its evergreen foliage.[2]
Acer oblongum is widespread across central, eastern, and southeastern Asia, from Tibet and northern India east as far as Japan, including southern China, and northern Indochina.[3]
Acer oblongum prefers humid climate of the Himalayan forests, especially along streams, at an elevation of about 600- above sea level.[4]