PDATANUS 



PLANE TBEE OBDEB 



PLATANUS 789 



cuttings of the ripened shoots inserted in 

 sandy soil under handlights or in green- 

 houses in autumn. Seeds may also be 

 sown when ripe in cold frames. 



MORUS (Mulbbery). — A genus with 

 10-12 species of milky -juiced trees or 

 shrubs having alternate toothed entire or 

 3-lobed leaves and small caducous lateral 

 stipules. Flowers monoecious or dioecious 

 (the male and female on separate spikes, 

 sometimes one kind only on a tree, some- 

 times another). Perianth segments 4. 

 Stamens 4. Fruit composed of numerous 

 egg-shaped flattened achenes covered by 

 the enlarged jxdcy and fleshy perianths. 



Culture and Propagation. — The kinds 

 mentioned below flourish in rich loamy 

 soil, and may be regarded as ornamental 

 in parks and large gardens. They may 

 be increased by cuttings of the young 

 shoots in spring, or the ripened ones in 

 autumn, inserted in sandy soil under 

 handlights. Other details as to general 

 cultivation are given under ' Mulberry ' 

 in the Fruit portion of this work (p. 1100). 



M. alba (WMte Mulberry). — A Chinese 

 tree 20-30 ft. high, with heart-shaped or 

 ovate, divided or lobed, unequally serrate 

 or toothed glossy green leaves with a deep 

 notch or sinus at the base. Flowers in 



May, greenish-white, succeeded by white 

 or pale red fruits, ripe in September and 

 not so agreeable in flavoiu? as those of 

 M. nigra. There are several forms of this 

 species grown in S. Europe chiefly for the 

 leaves, which are used for feeding silk- 

 worms. 



Culture dc. as above. 



M. nigra (Common Black Mulberry). 

 A beautiful oriental tree 20-30 ft. high, 

 with large bluntly heart-shaped or slightly 

 lobed and unequally toothed roughish 

 leaves. Flowers in June, greenish-white, 

 followed by oblong deep red or black 

 fruits ripe in August and September, and 

 very refreshing and palatable. 



Culture do. as above. 



M. rubra. — A tree 40-70 ft. high, 

 native of the United States (the lower 

 Missouri Valley), having heart-shaped 

 ovate pointed leaves in outline, 3-lobed 

 or palmate, evenly serrate, roughish and 

 rather hairy above, soft and very downy 

 beneath. Flowers in July, greenish- 

 yellow, succeeded by long red agreeably 

 flavoured fruits, ripe in September. This 

 species is hardier than either the White 

 or Black Mulberry, and produces a strong 

 fine-grained wood. 



Culture dc. as above. 



CV. PLATANACEiE— Plane Tree Order 



An order of highly ornamental deciduous trees, the bark of which peels off in 

 flakes annually. Leaves long-stalked, alternate, palmately nerved and lobed, 

 and furnished with conspicuous sheathing stipules. Mowers monoecious, 

 without a perianth, and clustered in separate naked globose heads or catkins 

 on long drooping stalks. Bach male flower has one stamen. Carpels in the 

 female flowers numerous, distinct, intermixed with the linear, or short bracts. 

 Fruit a 1-2-seeded nut or achene, several arranged in dense heads. 



PLATANUS (Plane Tebe). — This is pseudo-platanus) described at p. 317. 



the only genus in the order, and as its 

 essential characters are given above it is 

 unnecessary to repeat them. 



Culture a/nd Propagation. — The 

 species described below are among the 

 most ornamental and useful trees in culti- 

 vation. They flourish in a deep rich 

 loamy soU, and attain their finest pro- 

 portions near water. What is commonly 

 and erroneously cajled the Plane Tree in 

 Scotland is equally erroneously called the 

 Sycamore in England. The tree referred 

 to by these names is realty a Maple {Acer 



Plane trees are increased by seeds, which 

 may be sown as soon as thoroughly ripe 

 in warm borders. Layers may also be 

 made where the branches conveniently 

 admit. Cuttings of the ripe wood inserted 

 in naoist sandy soil under handlights or 

 cold frames in autumn will also root, 

 and should be protected from frost until 

 spring. 



P.occidentalis {Button Wood; Western 

 or American Flame Tree). — -A fine tree 

 70-80 ft. high, native of the United States, 



