can ya explain it to me

[limbrat]

I went to the usdafpl under wood properties and sycamore was shown as Acer pseudoplatanus and Platanus occidentalis. The second one is the only one that would open, and they did mention two that were native here. Are these two different trees called sycamore or are they not sure were to put sycamore or what? The Platanus occidentalis sounded like the tree im use to.

                 Thank You

[tonich]

Acer pseudoplatanus - Sycamore (Maple) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_pseudoplatanus

Platanus occidentalis - American sycamore - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_sycamore

For me personally, plane should be more descriptive for Platanus.
Anyway, that’s just me.
In North America things seem to be different.

Cheers! 

[SwampDonkey]

pseudoplatanus means planetree-like, Acer is maple

kind of like Chamaecyparis means false cypress as in yellow cypress of the Pacific NW.


There are 4 species of Sycamore in NA, 3 native to the US and 1 in Mexico. P. occicentalis, the one we commonly call sycamore of the eastern US and then two western species: P. wrightii of Arizona and New Mexico. and P. racemosa of California.

As far as anatomy distinguishable by hand lens, sycamore has rays twice as wide as largest pores (end grain) and nearly uniform in size and the grain is generally interlocked (split surfaces). Where as hard maple has rays of two distinct sizes with several smaller rays between the larger rays, largest pores the width of largest ray and straight grained.

[limbrat]

Thank you that cleared it right up.

[Ianab]

Ahh.. the joys of Common names for trees 

Acer pseudoplatanus is a European species, and it known as Sycamore in England. It's been introduced into the US and is even common here in NZ. But it's really a type of soft maple.

Platanus occidentalis is American sycamore, but in Europe they call the Platanus species Plane trees.

Dont even get me started on the native NZ 'Pine' trees, NONE of them are are even in the Pinus group 

Cheers

Ian

[SwampDonkey]

Posted to the wrong thread.

[tonich]

Dont even get me started on the native NZ 'Pine' trees, NONE of them are are even in the Pinus group 

Please, don’t do it Ian!
It will be a bit of confusing to me. 

[Dave Shepard]

We have two types of sycamores around here: sycamores, and London planetrees. We have gone round and round on more than one occasion trying to ID some of them. There were a whole bunch of them in our nursery, but I don't think they got replanted. It's been a quite a while since I worked there, so I have forgotten what was what and the latin names. We planted a few of them at a golf course. Had to take a 60" rootball across a suspension bridge with a 5 ton skid loader. The first step off the concrete abuttment was a doozy.


Dave