A tree up to 45 m tall, or a shrub belonging to one of about 128 species of Acer (family Sapindaceae), most of which are deciduous and native to Asia. The most abundant European maple is A. pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple. Maples typically have palmate leaves that change colour spectacularly in autumn. The sugar maple (A. saccharum) is the source of maple syrup and its leaf is the Canadian national emblem.