Platanus 615 



marking the fall of the previous season's bud-scales. Buds distichous and alternate 

 on the long shoots, arising at an angle of 45, uniform in size, conical, smooth, 

 lustrous, covered by a glabrous cap-like scale. 



Varieties 



jy Var. typica. The form in cultivation, known generally as P. orientalis, 

 slightly different in foliage from the wild form, known as var. insularis. 



A tree, attaining enormous dimensions in South-Eastern Europe and Western 

 Asia, with a short trunk, dividing into many wide-spreading branches. Leaves 

 (Plate 204, Fig. 4) large, generally exceeding 6 inches broad by 5 inches long, 

 usually five-lobed ; lobes extending about half-way to the base of the blade, oblong- 

 triangular with an acuminate apex, entire ^ in margin or with a few sinuate entire 

 teeth ; sinuses deep, variable in shape. Each of the two basal lobes often gives off a 

 short lobe below, making the leaf seven-lobed. Base of the leaf truncate or widely 

 cordate, but usually extending along the midrib ^ to ;^ inch below where the two 

 main lateral nerves are given off. Upper surface dark-green, glabrous, shining; 

 lower surface paler, glabrous except along the nerves and midrib, and in their axils, 



2. Var insularis, DC. Prod. xvi. 2, p. 159 (1864). The wild form, occurring 

 in Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Crete, Rhodes, and Asia Minor. 



A tree, not reported to be very large in size, and said to have rough bark, 

 with small scales, which fall off less readily than in the typical form. Leaves 

 smaller than in the type, scarcely exceeding 5 inches broad and 4^ inches long, very 

 variable in shape, usually five-lobed ; lobes oblong-triangular or triangular, coarsely 

 three- to four-toothed, extending about halfway to the base of the blade, which is 

 always cuneate, the lamina descending along the midrib |- to \ inch below the insertion 

 of the first pair of main nerves ; sinuses deep, variable in form. 



Mouillefert ^ distinguishes two varieties of the wild form, one with narrowly 

 lanceolate entire lobes and wide sinuses, the other with lanceolate sinuately-toothed 

 lobes and very deep narrow sinuses. The range of variation in the shape of the 

 leaf in the wild form is considerable. 



3. Var. cuneata^ Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. iv. 2034 (1838). 

 Platanus cuneata, VVilldenow, Sp. PL iv. 473 (1805). 



A tree, moderate in size, with bark resembling that of var. acerifolia. Leaves 

 (Plate 204, Fig. 3) usually about 5 inches wide by 4^^ inches long, occasionally 8 inches 

 by 7 inches ; three- to five-lobed, the lobes as in var. typica ; base of the leaf broadly 

 cuneate, the lamina extending along the petiole ^^ to f inch below the insertion of 

 the main lateral nerves ; petioles short. This variety only differs from var. typica 

 in the markedly cuneate base, and approaches in character var. insularis. As seen 

 in cultivation it usually forms imperfect small fruiting heads. 



. The form with entire lobes is sometimes distinguished as var. liquidambarifolia, Spach, loc. cit. 

 2 Essences Forestihres, 221 (1903). ' Probably var. undulata, Alton, Hort. Kew, iii. 364 (1789). 



