SYCAMORE 



G.N. 1493 



SYCAMORE 



Acer Pseudo-Platanus Linn. Aceracese. 



A moderately hard and heavy, diffuse-porous wood of uniform structure. 

 Colour, white with characteristic lines (the ring boundaries), and a fine 

 hatching or half-tone effect produced by the rays in tangential section. 

 A sapwood tree. 



Transverse section. Boundary an extremely fine line, clear, but not 

 prominent. Parenchyma not visible with lens; dispersed among the 

 fibres. Vessels small (lens), fairly evenly distributed: no great variation 

 in size. Kays small, but very clear and bright, visible at arm's length 

 especially when wetted : very irregular in size and spacing. 



Radial section. Boundaries clear: vessels very fine, but yet visible. 

 Rays (prominent when wetted or polished), white to brownish. 



Tangential section. As the radial, but the boundaries appear as 

 prominent, but fine loops. Rays minute, but from their abundance 

 producing the half-tone effect referred to above : the rays are individually 

 clearly visible though so small. 



May be confused with: 



Poplar (the white kinds, which 

 have medium coarse grain and 

 obscure uniseriate rays). 



Birch (medium coarse grain : rays 

 in transverse section just visible). 



Acer campestre (rays very diffi- 

 cult to see in transverse section by 

 reason of the lack of contrast in 

 colour with the ground. If the half- 

 tone effect be produced, the rays are 

 not individually visible). 



Tulip-tree (silver-grain of a 

 lighter colour than the ground: 

 weight of wood, light. Watery and 

 alcoholic extracts, pale green. Rays 

 seldom, if ever, more than three rows 

 of cells wide : one-rowed rays rare). 

 Septa of vessels with grids. 



Lime [rays obscure in transverse 

 section though just visible. Re- 

 action (watery extract) with per- 

 chloride of iron, olive]. 



May be distinguished by: 



Rays very clear and visible at 

 arm's length in transverse section : 

 grain fine. 



As above. 



Rays in transverse section very 

 clear as above: half-tone effect in 

 tangential section pronounced, 

 each ray though small, being 

 visible to the unaided eye. 



Medium weight: silver-grain 

 darker than the ground. Watery 

 extract pale brown; alcoholic, 

 colourless. The larger rays seldom, 

 if ever, less than five rows of cells 

 wide but many small rays of one 

 row only, occur. No grids. 



Rays prominent and bright in 

 transverse section. Perchloride of 

 iron darkens and clouds the watery 

 extract. 



