marking the fall of the previous season's bud-scales. Buds distichous and alternate on the long shoots, arising at an angle of 45°, uniform in size, conical, smooth, lustrous, covered by a glabrous cap-like scale.
Varieties
1. Var. typica.—The form in cultivation, known generally as P. orientalis, slightly different in foliage from the wild form, known as var. insularis.
A tree, attaining enormous dimensions in South-Eastern Europe and Western Asia, with a short trunk, dividing into many wide-spreading branches. Leaves (Plate 204, Fig. 4) large, generally exceeding 6 inches broad by 5 inches long, usually five-lobed; lobes extending about half-way to the base of the blade, oblongtriangular with an acuminate apex, entire[1] in margin or with a few sinuate entire teeth; sinuses deep, variable in shape. Each of the two basal lobes often gives off a short lobe below, making the leaf seven-lobed. Base of the leaf truncate or widely cordate, but usually extending along the midrib ⅛ to ¼ inch below where the two main lateral nerves are given off. Upper surface dark-green, glabrous, shining; lower surface paler, glabrous except along the nerves and midrib, and in their axils.
2. Var insularis, DC. Prod. xvi. 2, p. 159 (1864). The wild form, occurring in Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Crete, Rhodes, and Asia Minor.
A tree, not reported to be very large in size, and said to have rough bark, with small scales, which fall off less readily than in the typical form. Leaves smaller than in the type, scarcely exceeding 5 inches broad and 43 inches long, very variable in shape, usually five-lobed; lobes oblong-triangular or triangular, coarsely three- to four-toothed, extending about halfway to the base of the blade, which is always cuneate, the lamina descending along the midrib ⅛ to ¼ inch below the insertion of the first pair of main nerves; sinuses deep, variable in form.
Mouillefert[2] distinguishes two varieties of the wild form, one with narrowly lanceolate entire lobes and wide sinuses, the other with lanceolate sinuately-toothed lobes and very deep narrow sinuses. The range of variation in the shape of the leaf in the wild form is considerable.
3. Var. cuneata,[3] Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. iv. 2034 (1838).
- Platanus cuneata, Willdenow, Sp. Pl. iv. 473 (1805).
A tree, moderate in size, with bark resembling that of var. acerifolia. Leaves (Plate 204, Fig. 3) usually about 5 inches wide by 4½ inches long, occasionally 8 inches by 7 inches; three- to five-lobed, the lobes as in var. typica; base of the leaf broadly cuneate, the lamina extending along the petiole ½ to ¾ inch below the insertion of the main lateral nerves; petioles short. This variety only differs from var. typica in the markedly cuneate base, and approaches in character var. insularis. As seen in cultivation it usually forms imperfect small fruiting heads.
