Acer tataricum L. (E Eur., As.) – A very rare and probably ephemeral escape from cultivation. First reported as escaping around 2008 when saplings were observed in an arboretum in Jemappes (Mons). Since 2013 several young trees have been observed on the concrete banks of a canal near Harelbeke (Stasegem). In 2014 also seen in an abandoned railway yard in Gent (Moskou) and on the verge of woodland in Mol. A future naturalization in some of these areas is not unlikely, for instance alongside the canal between Kortrijk and river Scheldt.
Acer tataricum is a variable species. Based on leaf shape two subspecies are sometimes distinguished in the horticultural trade. The plants usually seen as escapes have deeply 3-lobed leaves and belong to subsp. ginnala (Maxim.) Wesm. (syn.: A. ginnala Maxim.), a taxon that is confined to eastern Asia. The plants seen in Mol, however, have more or less unlobed leaves and probably are A. tataricum s.str. This taxon also occurs naturally in parts of eastern Europe. The taxonomic value of this character is uncertain and requires further study. Chinese authors tend to further subdivide A. ginnala in two geographically separated subspecies (Zhu & al. 2015).
Acer tataricum is increasingly reported as an escape in other parts of Europe as well, for instance in Germany (e.g. Adolphi 1997, Adolphi 2006, Mazomeit 2013) and Austria (Leonhartsberger 2015). It is a naturalized, fast spreading tree in recent years in parts of Russia (Seregin 2007). In Denmark it was observed as an escape from an arboretum (Nielsen & Leverenz 2002).
Selected references
Adolphi K. (1997) – Neophytische Kultur- und Anbau-pflanzen als Kulturflüchtlinge des Rheinlandes, 1. Nach-trag. Osnabr. Naturwiss. Mitt. 23: 27-36.
Adolphi K. (2006) Neophyten in Binz auf Rügen – eine kommentierte Artenliste mit Anmerkungen aus überregionaler Sicht. Bot. Rundbr. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 41: 113-124.
Leonhartsberger S. (2015) Neues zur Adventivflora von Graz. Joannea Botanik 12: 39-68. [available online at: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/JoanBot_12_0039-0068.pdf]
Maroofi H. & Sharifi K. (2006) Acer tataricum (Aceraceae), a new collection from W. of Iran. Iranian J. Bot. 12(1): 57-58. [available online at: http://www.sid.ir/En/Journal/ViewPaper.aspx?ID=105416]
Mazomeit J. (2013) Acer ginnala verwildert in der Pfalz. Pollichia-Kurier 29(1): 16-17. [available online at: https://www.pollichia.de/index.php/download/category/36-arbeitskreis-bot...
Nielsen K.H. & Leverenz J.W. (2002) Escaping, naturalized and native woody plant taxa around the arboretum in Hørsholm. Denmark: Dansk Dendrologisk Forening: 39-59. [available online at: http://www.dendron.dk/aarsskrift/docs/155.pdf]
Seregin A. (2007) Expansions of plant species to the flora of Vladimir Oblast (Russia) in the last decade. Second report. Russian Journal of Biological Invasions 6(3): 202-221. [available online at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280718759_Expansions_of_plant_s...
Slavnic Z. (1975) On speciation in Acer tataricum Pax in Yugoslavia. Wiss. Mitt. Bosnisch-Herzegow. Landesmus. C 4-5: 125-131.
Zhu J., Cheng H.M., Zhu Y.P., Cao W., Chen B. & Tian X.J. (2015) Geographic variations in leaf shape of Acer ginnala (Aceraceae). Plant Syst. Evol. 301(3): 1017-1028.