Platanaceae T.Lestib.

Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Morphology General Habit

Trees, deciduous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate simple, lamina palmately lobed, abaxial surface covered in branched hairs, margins dentate, venation tri-nerved; stipules leaf-like; petioles expanded at base,

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal, pendulous, capitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flowers with 3-4(-7) sepals, free or connate; petals vestigial, alternating with sepals; stamens equal in number to sepals and basally connate; filaments short; anthers dehiscing via longitudinal slits; Female flowers with 3-4(-7) sepals; apetalous; ovary superior, carpels 5-8, free, ovules 1 per carpel, stigmas elongate Flowers unisexual, monoecious, actinomorphic

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit heads of achenes or nutlets, covered in long trichomes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oily, wind-dispersed.

Diagnostic

Distinguishing characters (always present): Peeling bark coming off irregularly in large plates. Axillaryvegetative buds covered by petiole base. Leaf-like stipules surrounding twig. Flowers condensed into globular heads. Monoecious. Petals minute in male flowers and absent in females.

Distribution

Two species native to the Neotropics (Platanus mexicana Moric. and P. rzedowskii Nixon & J. M. Poole) with a number of ornamental and commercial species grown throughout both urban and rural areas. The Platanaceae have their main distribution in temperate North America with an additional one or two species occurring in southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia to Iran. There is also a disjunct species to be found in Indochina (Heywood, 2007). In the Neotropics the genus Platanus L. has a natural southern distribution limit of Guatemala which is enlarged due to its use as a utility tree throughout the Neotropics.

Note

Plane trees. Number of genera: A monogeneric family represented by the genus Platanus L. Notes on delimitation: Currently circumscribed with the Lotus-lily family (Nelumbonaceae) and the Proteaceae in the Proteales (APGIII).