CHAP. CVII. 



PLATANA'CEJE. PLA'TANUS. 

 GENUS I. 



2033 



PLA'TANUS L. THE PLANE TREE. Lin. Syst. Monce v cia Polyandria. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., 1075. ; Reich., 1173. ; Schreb., 1451. ; Gacrtn., t. 90. ; Tourn., t. 363. : Juss 

 410. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 5. ; Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 473. 



Synonyme. Platane, Fr. ; Platanus, Ger. 



Derivation. From platys, ample ; in allusion to its spreading branches and shady foliage. The 

 name of plane tree is applied, in Scotland, to,the A*cer Pseudo-PUitanus (seep. 414.); probably 

 because the French, according to Parkinson, first called that the plane tree, from the mistake of 

 Tragus, who fancied, from the broadness of its leaves, that it was the plane tree of the ancients. 



Description, fyc. Lofty deciduous trees, with widely spreading branches, 

 dense foliage, and bark scaling off in hard irregular patches. Natives of the 

 east of Europe, west of Asia, and north of Africa, and of North America. 

 In Britain, they are chiefly planted for ornament, and they succeed in any free 

 moist soil, in a sheltered situation. They are readily propagated by layers, 

 or even by cuttings, and sometimes by seeds. The cause of the falling off of 

 the bark, Dr. Lindley states to be the rigidity of its tissue ; on account of 

 which it is incapable of stretching as the wood beneath it increases in dia- 

 meter. (Nat. Syst., ed. 

 2., p. 187.) There are 

 only two species intro- 

 duced into Europe ; one 

 of which, P. orientalis, 

 is found to be hardier 

 than P. occidentalis, 

 though the latter grows 

 more rapidly, attains a 

 larger size, and may be 

 propagated much more 

 readily by cuttings. Both 

 species ripen seeds in 

 Britain, in fine seasons. P. occidentalis is readily known from P. orientalis, 

 in the winter season, by its bark scaling off much less freely, or, in voung or 

 middle-sized trees, scarcely at all ; and, in the summer season, by its leaves 

 being but slightly lobed (see fig. 1952. a), instead of being palmate like those 

 of P. occidentalis, as shown in fig. 1952. b ; and by its globular catkins, or 

 balls, as they are commonly called, being nearly smooth, while those of P. 

 orientalis are rough. The appearance of these catkins, or balls, hanging from 

 the tree by long threads, in winter, when it is without leaves, is peculiarly 

 graceful ; whether they hang from the perpendicular or from the horizontal 

 branches (see figs. 19*53. and 1954.); reminding us of the divi ladner of 

 Ceylon, the Tabernaemontana alternifolia of botanists (fig- 1954.); which, it 

 is fabled, was the forbidden fruit of Paradise. (See Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. v. 

 p. 449.) It is a singular fact, that many of the large trees of P. occidentalis 

 in Britain, more especially in England, were so far injured by a frost in May, 

 1809, that they have since died. 



X 1. P. ORIENT A^LIS L. The Oriental Plane. 



Identification. 

 Gron. Oi 



Synonymcs 

 de 1'Orie 



Engravings'.' bu'Ha"m.Arb., t.33. ; N- Du Ham., 2.'t. 1. ; Dend. Brit, t 101". ; our fig. 1954. ; and 

 the plates of this species in our last Volume. In fig 1955. a shows the female catkins transversely 

 cut, so as to show the position of the flowers on the orbicular receptacle ; 6 shows a section of 

 the female catkin in seed ; c, a scale and pistil ; d, stamen and scale ; e, the longitudinal section of 

 a seed ; and /, an entire seed. 



Spec. Char.,$c. Leaves 5-lobed, palmate, wedge-shaped at the base; the 

 divisions lanceolate, sinuated. Stipules nearly entire. ( Willd.) A tree, 

 growing to the height of from 60ft. to 80ft.; a native of the Levant; 



6Q 2 



