As their varioius nicknames suggest, cultivars of this type have extremely narrow leaf lobes that are dissected to the leaf base, that is, linear lobes. These lobes are without serrations, distinguishing them from the laceleaf type. The Japanese names for these cultivars tend to include words for bamboo, rice, and strings or threads.

Another distinguishing feature is that these cultivars are not mushroom-shaped, but generally upright, though often spreading. They are actually smaller trees, on average, than laceleafs, once both are fully grown. This makes them excellent for small gardens or containers. They are also very "oriental"- looking, due to their resemblance to bamboo. These cultivars, alone among Japanese maple types, have not been found in the wild. Either they were mutations from cultivated sources or else their ancestors were very rare.

Click on a cultivar name for full discriptions and photos.