Acer caudatum var. erosum (Pax) Rehder; A. caudatum subsp. georgei (Diels) A. E. Murray; A. caudatum var. georgei Diels; A. caudatum var. multiserratum (Maximowicz) Rehder; A. caudatum subsp. prattii (Rehder) A. E. Murray; A. caudatum var. prattii Rehder; A. erosum Pax; A. multiserratum Maximowicz; A. papilio King.

Trees to 10 m tall, andromonoecious. Branchlets stout, with elliptic or oblong lenticels; winter buds ovoid, outer scales ovate. Leaves deciduous; petiole red, 5-9 cm, glabrous or pubescent; leaf blade abaxially light green, adaxially dark green, 8-12 cm wide, membranous, abaxially yellowish pilose, adaxially glabrous except pubescent on veins, base cordate or deeply cordate, 5-lobed, rarely 7-lobed; lobes ovate or triangular-ovate, margin doubly and sharply incised-serrate, with acuminate teeth, apex caudate or acuminate. Inflorescence terminal, red, compact, racemose-paniculate, villous; peduncles 8-10(-12) cm. Pedicel 5(-8) mm, slender, slightly pubescent. Sepals 5, ovate-lanceolate, ca. 3 mm. Petals 5, linear-oblong, ca. 7 mm, glabrous. Stamens 8, glabrous. Disk extrastaminal, lobed, glabrous. Ovary densely yellow tomentose; style 1-5 mm; stigmas spreading. Fruit yellowish brown; nutlets ovoid-subglobose, rarely flat, veined; wing including nutlet 2.5-2.8 cm × 7-9 mm, wings spreading acutely or erectly. Fl. May, fr. Sep. 2n = 26.

Alpine forests; 1700-4000 m. SE Gansu, W Henan, W Hubei, Ningxia, S Shaanxi, W Sichuan, SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, Myanmar, Nepal].