CH/VP. CVII.

PLATANa'cEjE. PLATANUS.

2033

Genus I.

1952

JL,

PLA'TANUS L. The Plane Tree. Lin. Syst. Monoe'eia Polyandria.

Identification. Lin. Gen., 1075. : Reich., 1173. ; Schreb., 1451. : G*ertn..t. 90. : Tourn.. t. 303 • Jusb410. j N. Du Ham., 2. p. 5.j Willd. Sp. PL, 4. p. 473. * ’ »

Synonyme. Platane, Fr. j Platanus, Ger.

derivation. Prom platys, ample j in allusion to its spreading branches and shady foliage. Thename of plane tree is applied, in Scotland, to .the .4'cer Pseddo-Platanus (seep. 414.); probablybecause the French, according to Parkinson, first called that the plane tree, from the mistake ofTragus, who fancied, from the broadness of its leaves, that it was the plane tree of the ancients.

Description, $c. Lofty deciduous trees, with widely spreading branches,dense foliage, and bark scaling off in hard irregular patches. Natives of the’east of Europe, west of Asia, and north of Africa, and of North America.In Britain, they are chiefly planted for ornament, and they succeed in any freemoist soil, in a sheltered situation. They are readily propagated by layers,or even by cuttings, and sometimes by seeds. The cause of the falling off ofthe bark, Dr. Lindley states to be the rigidity of its tissue; on account ofwhich it is incapable of stretching as the wood beneath it increases in dia-meter. {Nat. Syst., ed.

2., p. 187.) There areonly two species intro-duced into Europe; oneof which, P. orientalis,is found to be hardierthan P. occidentalis,though the latter growsmore rapidly, attains alarger size, and may bepropagated much morereadily by cuttings. Bothspecies ripen seeds inBritain, in fine seasons. P. occidentalis is readily known from P. orientalis,in the winter season, by its bark scaling off much less freely, or, in young ormiddle-sized trees, scarcely at all; and, in the summer season, by its leavesbeing but slightly iobed (see fig. 1952. a), instead of being palmate like thoseof P. occidentalis, as shown in fig. 1952. b ; and by its globular catkins, orballs, as they are commonly called, being nearly smooth, while those of P.orientalis are rough. The appearance of these catkins, or balls, hanging fromthe tree by long threads, in winter, when it is without leaves, is peculiarlygraceful ; whether they hang from the perpendicular or from the horizontalbranches (see figs. 19*53. and 1954.); reminding us of the divi ladner ofCeylon, the Tabernaemontana alternifolia of botanists (fig. 1954.); which, itis fabled, was the forbidden fruit of Paradise. (See Mag. Nat. Hist.,v ol. v.p. 449.) It is a singular fact, that many of the large trees of P. occidentalisin Britain, more especially in England, were so far injured by a frost in May,1809, that they have since died.

S I. P. orienta'lis L. The Oriental Plane.

Identification. Willd. Sp. Pi., 4. p. 473.; Hort. Cliff., 447. ; Roy Lugdb., 78. j Hasselq. It., 487.;

Gron. Orient, 293. ; Mill. Diet., No. 1. ; Hort. Kew.,3. p. 364. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 1.

Synonymes. Platanus orientalis vdrus Park. Theatr ., 1427., Du Ham. Arb., 2. t 33.; Platanede l’Orient, Fr. ; Morgenlandischer Platanus, Ger. ; Doolb, Arabic; Chinar, Persian.

Engravings. Du Ham. Arb., t. 33.; N. Du Ham., 2. 1 1.; Dend. Brit., t 101.; out fig. 1954.; andthe plates of this species in our last Volume. In fig 1955. a shows the female catkins transverselycut, so as to show the position of the flowers on the orbicular receptacle; b shows a section ofthe female catkin in seed; c, a scale and pistil; d, stamen and scale; e, the longitudinal section ofa seed j and /, an entire seed.

Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves 5-lobed, palmate, wedge-shaped at the base; thedivisions lanceolate, sinuated. Stipules nearly entire. (Willd.) Atree,growing to the height of from 60ft. to 80 ft.; a native of the Levant;

6 q 2