Platanus spp. (Platane, plane, sycamore)
Nomenclature etc. PLATANACEAE. P. acerifolia Wild. - Syn.: P. orientalis L. var. acerifolia Ait.; P. occidentalis L.; P. orientalis L. Trade and local names: Ahornblättrige Platane, Abendländische Platane, Morgenländische Platane (D), Platanier (F), European plane (GB), Sycamore, American sycamore (USA), Platano (I), Europees platanen (NL), Plat n (H).
Tree. Geographic distribution: Europe, excl. Mediterranean and North America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically red to white or grey. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.38–0.58–0.65 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows and in clusters. Average tangential vessel diameter 40–70–135 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 55–85–110. Perforation plates simple and scalariform, with (1–)5–10 bars. Intervessel pits scalariform or opposite, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 960–1600–2250 µm. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare (rarely).
Rays. Rays 3–4 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 4–12 cells wide. Rays of two distinct sizes. Height of large rays commonly over 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type. Homocellular ray cells procumbent. Rays commonly noded at growth ring boundaries.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. Silica not observed.
Cite this publication as: H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz (2000 onwards). 'Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval.' In English, French, German, and Spanish. Version: 4th May 2000. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/.
Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993 onwards, 1995 onwards, 1998) should also be cited (see General references).