The Trees at Keele
Field Maple Acer campestre
Origin: Field Maple is a native species that is common on limey soils and marls north to the Midlands. It is found mainly in hedgerows where it is often trimmed, though if left will grow into a substantial tree.
The bark on older trees is often cracked into plates with orangey fissures between.
The leaf typically has five lobes with the three main lobes being cut half-way to the base or more.
The seeds are distinctive with the two lobes being in line horizontally. They are bright yellowy-green, often stained pinkish, usually four in a bunch.
Location : There are scattered trees on campus, the easiest to see are along the track to the Observatory, square P6, and there are larger trees by Barnes Dell, below the third lake, square Q14.