Acer argutum, commonly known in English as pointed-leaf maple and in Japanese as asanoha-kaede, is a species of deciduous flowering tree native to Japan. It is a member of the genus Acer, in the family Sapindaceae. It has an upright growth habit and can reach heights of 10 m (33 ft) tall.
The genus epithet acer stems from the Latin 'acro-', which roughly translates to sharp or rise out, referring to the shape of the leaves. In a similar vein, the species epithet argutum translates to mean 'with notched ...