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Bulletin of the University of Texas 



er, the base of the trunk is frequently swollen. Bark thin 

 and gray on mature trunks, pale gray or almost white on 

 younger branches. The twigs are covered with fine hairs. 

 Leaves oblong to elliptic, firm, evergreen, green and shining 

 above, pale .and with fine silky hairs below, 4'-6' long, 

 i/o'-^X/ wide, with prominent veins and midrib. Flowers 

 globular, white and fragrant. Fruit oval, smooth, dark red, 

 2' long, %' wide, with flattened seeds. 



Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, south to Florida and west to 

 Arkansas and Texas. In Texas it extends to the Trinity 

 Valley. 



Ths wood is rather light and is not extensively used for 

 timber. The tree is planted for ornament throughout its 

 range and is well adapted for this purpose. 



PLATANACEAE Lindley. The Plane Tree Family. 



Platanus. The Plane Tree. 



Platanus occidontalis L. Siycamore. Button Wbod. A 

 very large tree 140-170 high with a trunk diameter some- 

 times reaching 10-11. The trunk frequently branches near 

 the ground into several large secondary divisions forming a 

 very wide spread, irregular, open crown. Bark on old trunks 

 is gray to reddish brown with plate-like scales, on younger 

 portions it is grayish green, thin, separating from the tree in 

 large, thin brittle plates which exposes the whitish smooth 

 inner layer, giving the tree a clean "whitewashed" appear- 

 ance. Leaves broadly ovate, 3-5 lobed, 4'-9' wide, the lobes 

 broad, toothed, thin and firm, bright green above, paler below, 

 hairy when first expanded, becoming smooth with age. Flow- 

 ers borne in dense globular heads on wooly stalks appearing 

 with the leaves. Fruit a globular head V^'-l 1 /-.'' in diameter 

 which bears numerous seeds, and persists on the tree until the 

 following spring. The seeds drop out throughout the early 

 winter. 



Southern Ontario, Maine, south to the Gulf States and west 

 to Nebraska and Texas. In Texas it extends to the valley of 

 the Devils River. It grows principally along streams and in 



