Maple

This article is about the tree. For the computer program, seeMaple (CAS).

Maple Temporal range:
Acer pseudoplatanus(sycamore maple) foliage
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Sapindaceae
Subfamily:	Hippocastanoideae
Genus:	Acer L.
Species
See either species grouped by sections alphabetical list of species
Distribution

Manitobamaple

The maple leaf is official symbol ofCanada

Maple(LatinnameAcer/ˈeɪsər/) is agenusoftreesorshrubs.Sometimes they are put into a family of their own, theAceraceae.At other times they are included in theSapindaceae.To include them in the Sapindaceae is the more modern classification. There are between 100 and 200speciesof maples. Most species are native toAsia,but some also occur inEurope,Northern Africa,andNorth America.

The wordAcercomes from aLatinword meaning "sharp". It was given because of the characteristic sharp points on the maple leaves. The first person to talk about the genus that way wasFrenchbotanistJoseph Pitton de Tournefortin 1700. Thetype speciesof the genus isAcer pseudoplatanus(the sycamore maple).

''Theophrastusbegan the daunting task of applying specific names to plants, such as the maple, which was previously called several different names by various communities in ancient Greece''.

Seed dispersal

The maple's distinctive fruit are called samaras, and known by many children as "helicopters" by the way they spin as they fall. Inside thefruitare found their seeds, which are in pairs. Each one is enclosed in a "nutlet" attached to a flattened wing of papery tissue. They are shaped to spin as they fall and carry the seeds a considerable distance on the wind. One tree can release hundreds of thousands of seeds at a time. Some seeds can remain in the soil for several years before germinating.

What are maples used for?

Maple trees are often planted as ornamental trees in cities. Some species resist the cold rather well.Sugar maplesare grown to makemaple syrup.Some maples are grown fortimber(wood that is used forfurniture).

Symbolism

TheflagofCanadashows a maple leaf.

References

2. edited by Tom Jackson, BIOLOGY: an illustrated history of life science