Editing Aceraceae

{{Short description|Family of maples}}
[[File:Acer campestre 006.jpg|thumb|Field maple ''[[Acer campestre]]'', in Ebsdorfergrund-Frauenberg, Hesse, Germany]]

'''Aceraceae''' were recognized as a family of [[flowering plant]]s also called the '''maple family'''.  They contain two to four genera, depending upon the circumscription, of some 120 [[species]] of [[tree]]s and [[shrub]]s. A common characteristic is that the leaves are [[phyllotaxis|opposite]], and the fruit a [[schizocarp]].<ref>[http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/aceracea.htm Aceraceae] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060226170716/http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/aceracea.htm |date=February 26, 2006 }} in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards), ''The families of flowering plants''.</ref>

The maples have long been known to be closely related to the family [[Sapindaceae]]. Several [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomists]] (including the [[Angiosperm Phylogeny Group]]) now include both the Aceraceae and the [[Hippocastanaceae]] in the Sapindaceae. Recent research (Harrington et al. 2005<ref>Harrington, M. G., Edwards, K. J., Johnson, S. A., Chase, M. W., & Gadek, P. A. (2005). Phylogenetic inference in Sapindaceae sensu lato using plastid matK and rbcL DNA sequences. ''Systematic Botany'' 30: 366-382. [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/aspt/sb/2005/00000030/00000002/art00012 Abstract].</ref>) has shown that while both Aceraceae and Hippocastanaceae are monophyletic in themselves, their removal from [[Sapindaceae]] ''[[sensu lato]]'' would leave Sapindaceae ''[[sensu stricto]]'' as a [[paraphyly|paraphyletic]] group, particularly with reference to the genus ''[[Xanthoceras]]''.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Acer rubrumAH.jpg|''[[Acer saccharinum]]''
AcerPalmatum.jpg|''[[Acer palmatum]]'' 
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:Sapindaceae]]
[[Category:Historically recognized angiosperm families]]


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