FROM KANSAS

Acer (maple) is a genus of trees or shrubs.

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.