PLANE (OF.. Fr. plane, from Lat. platoons, from Gk. rXdravos, plane tree, from aXcuric, phi gs, flat, Lith. pietas, Skt. pram, broad, from proth, to spread out; so called from the broad, flat leaves), Pletanns. The only genus of the nat ural order Plataname, tall, large trees of which there are only four or five species. The flowers are in globose, small, pendulous, long-stalked cat kins, which give the tree a peculiar appearance in winter. The species of plane are natives of temperate climates in the Northern Hemisphere; have deciduous large palmate leaves, and smooth whitish hark, which annually scales off in large pieces. The Oriental plane (Platanus oriente-lis), a native of Greece and the East, early used by the Greeks and the Romans as an ornamental tree, is extensively planted for shade and orna ment in various regions. Few trees better endure the atmosphere of large cities. A tree is reported on the banks of the Bosporns, which is 141 feet in circumference at the base, extends its branches 45 feet from the trunk, and is believed to be more than 2000 years old. The wood of the
plane, when young, is yellowish-white; when old, it is brownish, line-grained, takes a high polish, and is esteemed for cabinet-making. The tree thrives hest in a rich alluvial soil in the vicinity of water. The North American plane, sycamore, or buttonwood (Platanus occidentalis), is very similar and is probably the largest deciduous tree of the United States. It abounds on the banks of the great rivers of the Niddle States, where it attains a height of 100 to 150 feet and 10-15 feet in diameter. Its timber is not very valuable, and is very liable to decay. Two other species occur in the Southwest, the Californian sycamore (Platanus roremosa) and the Arizona sycamore (Plateaus Wrightii). The mane plane tree is commonly given in Scotland to the syca more o• great maple (.4 cer psewlo-platanus), which resembles the plane tree in its foliage. Sec MAPLE.