SYCAMORE. 



(Platanus.} 



The name Sycamore applies to a miple (Acer pseudo- 

 platanus} in Europe, to a fig-tree (Ficus sycomorus} in the 

 Orient,* and to the buttonball or plane tree (Platanus} in 

 North America. Of the plane trees (Platanus} the common 

 or Oriental plane (Platanus oricntalis} is a native of Europe; 

 the plane, buttonball, or sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis} 

 is a native and common tree in eastern North America ; and 

 the California plane, buttonball, 

 or sycamore (Platanus raccmosa) 

 is a native of western North 

 America. 



The sycamore stands for curi- 

 osity, because of its Biblical as- 

 sociation with Zaccheus. Many 

 European sycamores were planted 

 by religious persons during the 

 middle ages because of the belief 

 that they were the trees thus re- 

 ferred to in the Bible. 



,. . , . . SYCAMORF. (Plat anus 



1 he woods afforded by the ocrident<itts). 



American sycamores have unusually complicated, cross- 

 grained, but beautiful structures, difficult to work, but standing 

 well and valued for cabinet work and small articles. Ameri- 

 can trees are often very large. 



American buttonball or sycamore trees are distinguished 

 by rough balls which remain hanging on long stems through- 

 out the winter. The bark also is shed to an unusual extent ; 

 flakes of the outer cover drop away, exposing smooth inner 

 surfaces so white as to appear as if painted. Six or seven 

 species are included in the genus; three occur in North 

 America. Platanus is from plains, signifying broad, and refers 

 to the shape of the leaves. 



* Brockhaus, Konversations-Lexicon (B. 15, p. 536). 



