Tuesday, February 17, 2015

54. Platanaceae

Also known as the "plane tree" family,  Platanaceae includes some of the most common street trees in the world. American representatives of this one-genus family are called sycamores, two of which are very familiar to me. The American sycamore, Plantanus occidentalis, was just about everywhere in New York where I grew up (above). The layered bark leaves an unmistakable impression. The California sycamore, Platanus racemosa, is essentially the same tree on a much larger scale. The ones in Toro County Park (below) are the largest and most impressive I have ever encountered. Their limbs are lumbering giants, in some cases so heavy that they recline horizontally on the ground.

No comments:

Post a Comment