Acer palmatum 'Kaba' discovered by John Gibbon, founder of Hippopottering nursery. Kaba is Japanese for hippopotamus. The contorted leaf shape seems to be caused by a type of edge variegation like that seen in 'Beni komachi'. I have had to pinch out a couple of growing tips because those twigs were producing very large and vigorous amoenum type leaves. Will keep my eye on them and prune if secondary growth remains reverted.
I don't think anyone would call this the most beautiful or the most elegant Japanese maple, but it has a certain offbeat charm that I like a lot
