The formal description of the species reads as follows: "The specific epithet honours a philanthropist committed to the protection of the environment and the preservation of species,
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Through his philanthropic endowment, the first author was able to conduct phylogeographic and taxonomic studies of Acer in tropical America; this research led to the discovery and recognition of this new species." Until 2017 it was considered a western population of
Acer skutchii. ==Range and habitat==