THE PLANE 



-'^5 



s:::^^^^ 



hark is thin 

 a n d u II - 

 wrinkled, na- 

 turally some- 

 wiiat greyish, 

 but d a r k - 

 ened, if not 

 blackened, 

 by the city's 

 smoke. Here 

 it is that the 

 distinguish- 

 ing habit of 

 the Plane is 

 so marked 

 and benefi- 

 c i a 1 . The 

 thin bark 

 scales off in 

 patches, ex- 

 posing the 

 new yellow 

 under - bark, 

 so ridding the 

 tree of the 

 accumulated 

 impurities of 

 city life. 



The winter 

 twig is 

 rounded, 

 slightly zig- 

 zag, and olive 

 green in co- 

 lour. The 

 htids are ar- 

 ranged alter- 

 nately on the twig ; they project, are 

 conical in shape, and are protected by 

 a single brown scale which forms a com- 

 plete sheath. These buds through all the 

 period of their growth are hidden in 

 the bases of the leaf-stalks, and are 

 exposed to view only by the fall of the 

 leaves. In consequence the scar left by 

 the fallen leaf is circular, all but sur- 

 rounding the base of the bud. It has a 

 sinuous outline, and shows five groups 

 of leaf-traces. 



The leaves vary considerably, even upon 

 the same tree. They are large, wide- 

 spreading, and markedly geometrical. 

 They have deeply cut margins forming 

 generally five main divisions, each again 

 cut into by smaller indentations. Instead 

 of a single midrib, as with every tree 

 29 



WINTER TWIG AND BUD (EN- 

 LARGED) OF THE PLANE. 



previously considered, the Plane leaf has 

 three main ribs, radiating from the point 

 where the stalk enters the leaf, and ter- 

 minating in the apices of the three central 

 main divisions. The two remaining main 

 di\'isions of the leaf are supported by strong 

 ribs branching outwards from near the 

 base of the two outermost main ribs. So 

 the leaf is only approximately of the 

 five-fingered type. Golden when they 

 first appear, these leaves soon acquire 

 their permanent tint of vivid green. Their 

 firm, smooth texture ensures that every 

 passing shower shall wash away imjmrities, 

 so they are able to breathe and thrive, and 

 continue clean and bright, in positions 

 where most other leafage is soot -soiled 

 and choked. 



The flowers, pollen-bearing and fruit- 

 producing, are found on the same tree. 

 These appear with the leaves, growing 

 from the tips of new dwarf shoots, both 

 kinds as globular clusters attached to 



FRUIT AND FLOWERS OF THE PLANK. 



long slender stalks, 'i'lie jiollcn-bearing 

 clusters are greenish, changing to yellow 

 as the pollen matures. The fiuit-i>ro- 



