272 



PLATANACEiE. 



[Diclinous Exogens- 



Order LXXXIX. PLATANACEiE.— Planes. 



Plataneae, Lestibondois, according to Von Martins, Hort. Reg. Monacensis, p. 46. (1829.) ; Endl. Gen. 



xc\ii.; Meisner, p. 3i7. 



Diagnosis. — Urtical Exogens, ivitJi decidioous sheathing stipules, capitate flowers, limpid 

 juice, an inferior radicle, albuminous emhryo, and mimite plimiide. 



Deciduous trees or slu'ubs. Leaves alternate, palmate, or toothed, with scarious 

 sheathmg stipules. Cations roimd, pendulous. Flowers $ ? j amentaceous, naked ; 

 the sexes in distinct catkins. <? Stamens single, without any floral envelope, but with 

 several small scales and appendages mixed among them ; 

 anthers hnear, 2-celled. ^ Ovary 1 -celled, terminated 

 by a thick awi-shaped style, ha-sing the stigmatic sui-face 

 on one side ; o-vules solitary, or two, one above the other, 

 suspended, orthotropal. Nuts, in consequence of mutual 

 compression, clavate, with a persistent recm'ved style. 

 Seeds sohtary, or rarely in pah's, pendulous, elongated ; 

 testa thin ; embryo long, antitropal, taper, lying in the 

 axis of very tliin albumen ; radicle inferior. 



This group of trees or large slirubs, formerly compre- 

 hended in the Order once called Amentaceae, is particvQarly 

 known by its round heads of flowers, its 1 -celled ovary, 

 containing 1 or 2 pendulous o\Tiles, and its embryo lying 

 with the radicle dowTiward, by which it is distinguishable 

 from both Birchworts, Galeworts, and Artocarpads, with 

 all which, especially the latter, it has a close affinity. From 

 the latter, indeed, it is chiefly known by the want of calyx, 

 the inferior radicle, the presence of albumen, and the 

 absence of milk ; the habit of the two Orders is much the 

 same. Bartling even combines Platanus with that Order, 

 and it must be confessed that the gi'ounds of separating 

 the two are not strong. The simple carpel of the Planes 

 refers it I'ather to the Urtical than the Amental AlUance : 

 they may be regarded as the connecting link between 

 Artocarpads and Liquidambars, agreemg most with the 

 foiTuer on account of the simplicity of their fruit. 



Noble timber-trees, natives of Barbary, the Levant, 

 and North America, and extending even mto Cashmere. 



They are cliiefly cultivated for the sake of theu' noble appearance ; 

 their broad, shady, palmated leaves being equalled in this country by 

 those of no hardy trees except the Sycamore and its fellow species. 

 The timber is firm and close grained, but brittle, peiishable, and only fit 

 for indoor work. That of P. orientalis is said, howevei-, to be m p. qlxxxvt 

 request in the East for cabinet work, and even to have been used in ship- 

 building. The timber of P. occidentalis is redder, but warps, and will 

 not bear exposure to weather. No use is made of any other part of these plants. 



GENUS 

 Platanus, L. 



Numbers. Gen. 1. Sp. 6 ? 



Position. — Artocarpacese. — Platanace^. 

 AltingiaceeB. 



Fig. CLXXXVI.— Platanus orientalis. 1. The S inflorescence; 2. the ?; 3. an anther; 4. a per- 

 pendicular section of an ovary ; 5. a perpendicular section of a ripe fruit. 



