Maple
Maple (Latin name Acer /ˈeɪsər/) is a genus of trees or shrubs. Sometimes they are put into a family of their own, the Aceraceae. At other times they are included in the Sapindaceae. To include them in the Sapindaceae is the more modern classification. There are between 100 and 200 species of maples. Most species are native to Asia, but some also occur in Europe, Northern Africa, and North America.
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| Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple) foliage | |
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| Genus: | Acer |
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The word Acer comes from a Latin word 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 was French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1700. The type species of the genus is Acer pseudoplatanus (the sycamore maple).[1]
''Theophrastus began 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 the fruit are 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 maples are grown to make maple syrup. Some maples are grown for timber (wood that is used for furniture).
Symbolism
Maple Media
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Acer circinatum (vine maple) leaves showing the palmate veining typical of most species
Acer rubrum (red maple) flowers
3D rendering of a µCT scan of a samara. Resolution is about 45 µm/voxel.
Rhytisma acerinum fungus on Acer pseudoplatanus leaf
The Canadian flag incorporates a stylized maple leaf
A red maple tree highlighted between spruce trees
Acer palmatum (Japanese maple) has over 1,000 cultivars. This cultivar is A. palmatum 'Sango kaku', sometimes called "coralbark maple"
Acer palmatum var. 'Kiyohime' as bonsai during fall abscission. This dwarf hybrid cultivar is prized for its small leaves and bright red fall colors.
References
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Wikispecies has information on: Acer. |
- ↑ van Gelderen C.J. & van Gelderen D.M. 1999. Maples for gardens: a color encyclopedia.
2. edited by Tom Jackson, BIOLOGY : an illustrated history of life science