272 



PLATA NACEiE. 



[Diclinous Exogens. 



Order LXXXIX. PLATANACEiE.— Planes. 



Platanea?, Lestiboudois, according to Von Martins. Hurt. Reg. Monacensis, p. 46. (1829.) ; 



xcvii.; Meisner, p. 347. 



Encil. Gen. 



Diagnosis. — Urtical Exogens, with decidmus sheathing stipules, capitate flowers, limpid 

 juice, an inferior radicle, albuminous embryo, and minute plumule. 



Deciduous trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, palmate, or toothed, with scarious 

 sheathing stipules. Catkins round, pendulous. Flowers $ $ , amentaceous, naked ; 

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

 several small scales and appendages mixed among them ; 

 anthers linear, 2-celled. <j> Ovary 1 -celled, terminated 

 by a thick awl-shaped style, having the stigmatic surface 

 on one side ; ovules solitary, or two, one above the other, 

 suspended, orthotropal. Nuts, hi consequence of mutual 

 compression, clavate, with a persistent recurved style. 

 Seeds solitary, or rarely in pairs, pendulous, elongated ; 

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

 axis of very thin albumen ; radicle inferior. 



This group of trees or large shrubs, formerly compre- 

 hended in the Order once called Amentacese, is particularly 

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

 containing 1 or 2 pendulous ovules, and its embryo lying 

 with the radicle downward, 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 grounds of separating 

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

 refers it rather to the Urtical than the Amental Alliance : 

 they may be regarded as the connecting link between 

 Artocarpads and Liquidambars, agreeing most with the 

 former on account of the simplicity of their fruit. 



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

 and North America, and extending even into Cashmere. 



They are chiefly cultivated for the sake of their 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. 

 'Hie timber is firm and close grained, but brittle, perishable, and only fit 

 for indoor work. That of P. orientalis is said, however, to be in 

 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. 



Fig. CLXXXVf. 



Numbers. Gen. 1. Sp. 6? 



Position. — Artocarpacese. — Platanaci; k. 



Altmgiacece. 



Fig. CLXXXVI.— Platanus orientalis. I. The <? inflorescence: '.'. the ?; 3. an anther; t. a per- 

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



