PLANE 93 



perhaps, its unfortunate side in the almost monoto- 

 nous frequency with which it has been planted of 

 late years, to the exclusion of almost every other 

 species. 



There being a diversity of opinion as to which 

 Plane it is that succeeds so well throughout London, 

 it may be stated that, on a careful examination of 

 a large number of specimens, the variety P. orientalis 

 acerifolia was found not only more commonly dis- 

 tributed, but likewise better suited for town planting 

 than the typical P. orientalis. From the species this 

 valuable variety is readily distinguished by its less 

 deeply divided leaves, and from the American Plane 

 (P. occidentalis), with which it is not infrequently 

 confounded, by the many fruit ' balls ' which are 

 attached to each peduncle, the fruit of P. occidentals 

 being for the greater part produced singly. The 

 typical Eastern Plane is now less common than the 

 variety throughout the London area, while the Western 

 trees are few in number. But not only because it 

 succeeds so well as a town tree is the Oriental Plane 

 much sought after, for the large size to which it grows, 

 coupled with the handsome, finely-cut leaves and 

 conspicuous fruit, as also easy habit of growth, 

 render it one of the most ornamental of trees. Other 

 good qualities are that it succeeds extremely well in soil 

 of very opposite descriptions and is little prone to 

 disease or injury, while it is rarely uprooted or damaged 

 during stormy weather. The beautiful marbled stem 

 of grey and yellow, caused by the shedding of the 

 bark in large, irregular patches, which was very pro- 

 nounced and much commented on during the summer 

 of 1897, renders the Plane one of the most picturesque 

 and distinct of our woodland trees. In Portman and 



