Maple

It is a deciduous tree that can exceed 30 metres in height, with a broad, rounded crown. Its long-stalked leaves have five toothed lobes that resemble those of the plane tree, hence one of its common names in Spanish (“falso plátano”, or false plane).

Its fruits are winged samaras arranged in pairs that spin like small propellers as they fall, helping them to be dispersed by the wind.

It is native to central and western Europe and western Asia. In Spain it occurs naturally in the mountainous areas of the north of the peninsula and is widely planted as a shade tree in parks, gardens and promenades because of its hardiness and its tolerance of urban pollution.

Its winged fruit, spinning on itself like a propeller as it falls, has inspired the design of some aerial seed-dispersal systems studied in biomimetics. Its pale, fine-grained timber is also highly prized in carpentry and for making musical instruments.