Many times in these pages I've referred to the fascinating career of Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866), botanist, physician, naturalist, who is well-known for his studies of and adventures - e.g. as a spy - in Japan. For the West he first described this Japanese Maple in 1845. It's called specifically 'carpinifolium' because its foliage resembles that of the Common Hornbeam. I'm rather taken by its delicate, small flowers.
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