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 classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae. There are approximately 125 species, most of which are native to Asia, but several species also occur in Europe, northern Africa, and North America.
The word Acer is derived from a Latin word meaning "sharp" (referring to the characteristic points on the leaves) and was first applied to the genus by the French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1700 (321 years ago). The type species of the genus is Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore Maple).
Since Apr. 25, 1996 (25 years ago), the maple tree has been the national arboreal emblem of Canada, with its leaf being the prominent feature of the flag of Canada since 1965 (56 years ago).
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