1 : maple
2 : See also
3 : External link
See also Maple computer algebra system.
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Maples''' are trees of the genus Acer in the Order Sapindales, variously classified in a family of their own Aceraceae, or (together with the Hippocastanaceae) in Sapindaceae; genetic evidence points to the latter being the more accurate option. They are distinguished by opposite arrangement and entire, palmately lobed, or occasionally pinnate leaves. The flowers are regular, pentamerous, and borne in racemes, corymbs, or umbels. Their distinctive fruit called a key, a type of samara, is shaped to whirl as it falls and carry the seeds a considerable distance on the wind. The name 'acer' is stemming from the Latin "acris" (sharp), for the hardness of the wood and use as lances in the past.
Maples bloom in late winter or early spring, in some species before the leaves appear. Their flowers are small and inconspicuous, though the effect of an entire avenue of maples in bloom can be striking. They have five sepals, five petals about 3 mm long, twelve stamens about 1 cm long in two rings of six, and two pistils or a pistil with two styles. The ovary is superior and has two carpels, whose wings elongate the flowers, making it easy to tell which flowers are female. Within a few weeks to six months of blooming, the trees drop large numbers of seeds.
The leaves in most species are palmately veined, with 3-9 veins, one of which is in the middle. Several species, including the Paperbark maple, Acer griseum, Manchurian maple, Acer mandshuricum, Nikko maple, Acer maximowicziana, and Three-flower maple, Acer triflorum, have trifoliate leaves. The Manitoba maple (Acer negundo) has pinnately compound leaves that may be simply trifoliate or may have 5, 7, or even 9 leaflets. One maple, the Hornbeam maple, Acer carpinifolium, has pinnately-veined leaves that resemble those of the hornbeam.
Maples are important timbers, syrup sources, and cultivated ornamental plants. Sugar maple is the wood of choice for bowling pins and bowling alley lanes. Some species have bright autumnal leaf coloring. The Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is tapped for sap, which is then boiled to produce maple syrup or made into maple sugar or maple candy. Quebec is the world's largest producer of maple sugar products.
Maple is an important early spring source of pollen and nectar for bees, especially honeybees, which use its resources for spring buildup.
The flag of Canada depicts a maple leaf.
See also
- [[List of Danish Acers|List of Danish Acer species]]
External link
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