Acer (genus) en

Genus containing around 200 species of shrubs or trees widely distributed in the North Temperate Zone, but concentrated in China. Maples are used as ornamentals, tapped for syrup, and provide valuable, dense hardwood for furniture and other uses. All maples bear pairs of winged seeds, called samaras or keys. The leaves are arranged oppositely on twigs. Many maples have lobed leaves, but a few have leaves separated into leaflets. More recent classifications place the genus in the family Sapindaceae, although some have placed it in a family of its own, Aceraceae.