What kind of tree has these frosty leaves that are “redder than the flowers in February”?

In the golden autumn of October, in addition to the joy of abundant harvest, there is also the magnificent beauty of the forests with all colors. Since ancient times, people have had the custom of appreciating red leaves in autumn. In southern my country, the most famous tree species with autumn leaves is Liquidambar formosana, whose "frost leaves are redder than February flowers".

Among the four major red leaf viewing spots in my country, the main autumn leaf tree species in the three southern regions are Liquidambar formosana. Photo: Hang Yifan

Liquidambar is a deciduous tree of the genus Liquidambar in the family Altingiaceae, also known as maple, red maple, and Lulutong. It has a large crown and dense shade, is colorful, fire-resistant and haze-resistant, and is economical and practical. It is a common native tree species in the provinces south of the Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River in my country.

The scientific name of Liquidambar is composed of the Latin words liquidus (liquid) and ambar (amber), which means that the bark of the plant can produce aromatic resin | Jiangnan Dieyi

At this point, some people may say, isn't Liquidambar a Hamamelidaceae plant? In the traditional classification system, Liquidambar is a member of the genus Liquidambar in the Hamamelidaceae family. In the APG IV classification system of angiosperms based on molecular evidence, Liquidambar is classified into the family Fungus in the order Saxifragales, and the genera Fungus and Semi-Maple in the original classification system are also merged into the genus Liquidambar. Perhaps some people complain that the divisions and mergers in taxonomy are too complicated. In fact, the various "maple" in the red leaf season every year is more troublesome.

The spherical infructescence of the mushroom tree and the oval capsule of the witch hazel | Aqiao HQ / Flickr, Jiangnan Dieyi

Who is the real Maple?

When people mention "maple" today, what comes to mind is probably the split, fiery red maple. For example, the maple leaf on the Canadian flag is actually the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) of the Sapindaceae family. In ancient my country, "maple" referred to Liquidambar formosana. Guo Pu annotated "Er Ya" and said: "The tree is like a poplar, with round and branched leaves, resinous and fragrant, which is the Liquidambar form today."

As long as the leaves are lobed, they are generally called "maple". In fact, the leaves of Liquidambar formosana with shallow three lobes are the real maple trees | kulala13/pixabay, harum.koh/Flickr

So why did the resinous and fragrant Liquidambar form various "maple" species in ancient Chinese writings? This is because East Asia, where my country is located, is not only the origin of most of the mushroom family plants, but also one of the distribution centers of the maple genus. The appearance and leaf color of the maple genus are not only similar to those of Liquidambar, but also its distribution range is wider, so many people just let it go and did not investigate further. Over time, "maple" took the place of Liquidambar and occupied the image of "maple" in people's minds.

Liquidambar formosana has 4-7 leaf lobes. Using the "three maple and five maple" method to distinguish maple from maple is not reliable.

In fact, it is not difficult to distinguish Liquidambar from Acer plants. First, from the perspective of the way the leaves are attached, Liquidambar leaves are alternate, while Acer leaves are opposite. Secondly, the fruit morphology of the two is completely different. Liquidambar fruit is an aggregated head-shaped capsule, while Acer fruit is a winged fruit. Mastering the above two characteristics, you can easily distinguish between maple and maple.

The inflorescence of the triangular maple is terminal, and the fruit is a winged fruit with a protruding pit; the inflorescence of Liquidambar formosana is monoecious, the female inflorescence is capitate, the male inflorescence is spike-shaped, and the fruit is a spherical capsule with thorns | Jiangnan Dieyi/Shitou Laowuda/Yifan

Name change controversy

Liquidambar formosana is not only an excellent gardening tree species, its fragrant liquidambar resin is also an important raw material for spices, chemicals, medicine and traditional dyeing. This beautiful tree with many advantages has also forged an indissoluble bond with China's treasure island, Taiwan.

The changes of Liquidambar formosana throughout the year | Night Shift Worker C/Yifan/Jiangnan Dieyi/Meow Meow Plant Control

In 1864, British diplomat and naturalist R. Swinhoe invited R. Oldham, a specimen collector from Kew Gardens, to go treasure hunting in Taiwan, China, which was called "Beautiful Island" by Western colonial countries. Oldham collected more than 700 plant specimens, some of which were sent to the British Museum.

Two years later, botanist HF Hance officially named Liquidambar formosana based on the specimens collected by Oldham in Danshui, Taiwan, and published it in the French Annals of Natural Sciences. The Liquidambar specimens collected by Oldham later became treasures in the collection of the British Natural History Museum (separated from the British Museum in 1881).

155 years later, the once green branches of Liquidambar formosana have become antiques among herbarium specimens | nhm.ac.uk

In the 1960s, when the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was compiling the Atlas of Higher Plants of China, the scientific name of Liquidambar formosana was changed to L. taiwanensis, meaning "Taiwanese Liquidambar formosana", because the word "Formosa" had a strong Western colonial flavor.

When the autumn wind blows again, the magical color change of plants will be performed with the tacit cooperation of meteorological conditions and plant pigments. The lush green maple in summer will soon turn into a mixture of yellow, green, red, orange and ochre, forming a colorful "maple" landscape. If you like autumn, why not invite a few friends to go out and enjoy the maple leaves together.

In autumn, after frost, the leaves of Liquidambar formosana turn from green to red, presenting a beautiful scene where autumn is more beautiful than spring | Night shift worker C