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Why were maple trees moved from Aceraceae into the soapberry family?
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Sapindales
Tangerine (Citrus reticulata deliciosa)
Maple trees were moved from the former family Aceraceae into the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) because scientific evidence has shown that maples are actually temperate offshoots that evolved from within the largely tropical Sapindaceae family.12
This reclassification is based on modern botanical research, which utilizes DNA sequence data, morphological resemblances, and chemical analysis to clarify evolutionary relationships. These studies demonstrated that the previously recognized families of Aceraceae (maples) and Hippocastanaceae (horse chestnuts) are more accurately categorized as members of the Sapindaceae family.21