Platanus occidentalis
| American Sycamore | |
|---|---|
| |
| American Sycamore | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | P. occidentalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Platanus occidentalis | |
The American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), also known as American plane and Buttonwood, is one of the species of Platanus native to North America, where it is rather confusingly very often just called Sycamore, which can refer to other types of tree.
It forms a massive tree, typically reaching up to 30-40 metres high. In its native range, it is often found in riparian and wetland areas. The range extends from Iowa to Ontario and Maine in the north, Nebraska in the west, and south to Texas to Florida. Closely related species (see Platanus) occur in Mexico and the southwestern states of the U.S.A. It is sometimes grown for timber, and has become naturalised in some areas outside its native range. It has been planted at Ottawa, and is sold as far south as Okeechobee. It is frequently seen in parts of the Pacific Northwest.
American sycamore is susceptible to Plane anthracnose disease (Apiognomonia veneta, syn. Gnomonia platani), an introduced fungus naturally found on the Oriental plane P. orientalis, which has evolved considerable resistance to the disease. Although rarely killed or even seriously harmed, American sycamore is commonly partially defoliated by the disease, rendering it unsightly as a specimen tree. As a result, American sycamore is not often planted; the more resistant London plane (P. x hispanica; hybrid P. occidentalis x P. orientalis) being preferred instead.
Trivia: the forerunner to the New York Stock Exchange was formed in 1792 when a group of brokers and merchants signed the Buttonwood Agreement under a buttonwood tree in lower Manhattan.
Trivia: The Economist weekly periodical has an editorial commentary column entitled "Buttonwood" in reference to the Buttonwood Agreement.
Trivia: The sycamore tree lends its name to the athletic teams at Indiana State University, which is located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The ISU athletic program is perhaps best known for its appearance in the 1979 NCAA basketball championship game, in which a Sycamores team led by Larry Bird lost by a 75-64 score to Magic Johnson and Michigan State University.