PLATANACEiE 



ORIENTAL OR COMMON PLANE, Platanus orientalis. 



Parks, gardens, avenues. April. The Plane-tree has been employed for 

 giving shade since the days of the Greeks, and few trees are better adapted for 

 planting as specimens upon the lawn or elsewhere when the site is moderately 

 sheltered. 



Floiters greenish-yellow, small, monoecious, anemophilous, appearing before 

 leaves, in a globular head, males and females on separate peduncles, 2-5, usually 

 3, heads on each axillary peduncle ; Stamens in male flowers mixed, without 

 definite order, with scales, which may be bracts, perianth segments, or stami- 

 nodes ; Females, Ovary 1-celled, style persistent ; Periantlt replaced with 

 scales, which may be bracts, segments, or abortive ovaries ; Fruit a globular 

 head of small 1 -seeded nuts, ball covered with bristly points, ripe in October, 

 brown, persistent through winter. 



Leaves alternate, palmately 5-lobed, wedge-shaped at base, divisions lanceo- 

 late, sinuated, upper surface glabrous, shining green, Tv ins. long, 7| ins. 

 broad ; petiole green ; stipules sheathing, nearly entire. Autumn tints yellow 

 to orange-brown. 



A deciduous tree, 60-80 ft. ; Branches widely-spreading, lower ones horizontal ; 

 Bark flaking in larger pieces, whitish-grey, on young branches more persistent, 

 brown, sometimes tinted with purple ; Buds concealed by petioles ; Wood 

 pale-brown, fine-grained, tough, hard ; soon perishes if exposed to sun and 

 atmosphere. 



Introduced from the Levant some time previous to loiS ; possibly lives 

 2000 years. Generic name is from old Greek for the Plane {Platanos) — • 

 platijs, broad, probably referring to foliage. Specific name is Latin for Eastern. 



vol.. u. 1-45 N 



