Acer Maple Plant with Image

Name	Acer Maple
Family	Aceraceae
Species	129
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae. The type species of the genus is Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore maple). There are approximately 129 species, most of which are native to Asia, with a number also appearing in Europe, northern Africa, and North America. The word Acer is derived from a Latin word meaning "sharp" (compare "acerbic"), referring to the characteristic points on maple leaves. It was first applied to the genus by the French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1700. Since 1965, a stylized maple leaf has been featured on the flag of Canada.