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Mature trees can grow to 20m and live for up to 350 years. The bark is light brown and flaky, and twigs are slender and brown, and develop a corky bark with age. Small, grey leaf buds grow on long stems, and leaves are small, dark green and shiny, with five lobes and rounded teeth. They fade to a rich golden yellow before falling in autumn.The flowers appear to be hermaphrodite, meaning that both male and female reproductive parts are contained within one flower. However they are likely to be dominated by either male or female sexual parts. They are small, yellow-green, cup-shaped and hang in clusters. After pollination by insects, flowers develop into large, winged fruits, which are dispersed by wind. |