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Platanus orientalis
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Platanus orientalis
Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane, or chinar, is a large, deciduous tree in the family Platanaceae, native from the eastern Mediterranean to Iran. It typically grows along rivers, streams and springs, and has broad spreading crown, exfoliating bark, deeply lobed leaves and pendent infructescences bearing spherical fruting heads. It can grow to 30 m (98 ft) or more, and in autumn, its deep green leaves may change to blood red, amber, and yellow. Long cultivated for shade and ornament, and extensive planting since antiquity has made precise limits of its original range difficult to determine.
The generic name Platanus comes from Ancient Greek πλάτανος (plátanos), meaning "plane tree". The word is recorded as a later form of πλατάνιστος (platánistos). The species name orientalis means 'eastern' (in comparison, the 'western' plane (or American sycamore), the only other species known to Linnaeus, is named Platanus occidentalis). It is also well known in Asia from Anatolia to India, where usually called chinar or chenar.
The native distribution is from Italy east through the Balkans, Turkey, and the Caucasus to Iran. As it has been known in cultivation from early times in much of this region it can be difficult to determine if it is truly indigenous in peripheral areas.
The oriental plane is found naturally in riverine settings, together with such trees as alder, willow and poplar. However, it is quite capable of survival and success in dry soils once it is established. It can grow into a massive tree with many examples hundreds of years old. Around ten trees are known from the past and present with a diameter of 4 m (13 ft) or more, with several specimens around 100 m3 (3,500 cu ft) in total volume. A specimen in Ghirmizi Bazar, Karabakh, Republic of Azerbaijan is said to have a DBH of 5 m (16.4 ft), with a girth of 15.71 m (51.54 ft).
Like other plane trees, its leaves are borne alternately on the stem, deeply lobed, and palmate or maple-like. It usually has flaking bark, occasionally not flaking and becoming thick and rugged. Flowers and fruit are round and burr-like, borne in clusters of between two and six on a stem. Considerable variation exists among trees in the wild, and this may be complicated by crossbreeding with planted London planes (Platanus × hispanica), the hybrid of P. orientalis with the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).
The tree is capable of being grown in most temperate latitudes, though it benefits greatly from warm summers. As a very large and wide tree with broad, thick leaves that tend to orient horizontally, it is especially prized for the shade and coolness it provides during the hot season.
It grows best in rich soil in a sunny location and can survive drought well, although young plants appreciate regular watering.
The leaves and bark have been used medicinally. A fabric dye has been made from the twigs and roots. The timber, often called lacewood, is figured and valuable for indoor furniture. The leaves are also often used by artists for leaf carving.
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Platanus orientalis
Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane, or chinar, is a large, deciduous tree in the family Platanaceae, native from the eastern Mediterranean to Iran. It typically grows along rivers, streams and springs, and has broad spreading crown, exfoliating bark, deeply lobed leaves and pendent infructescences bearing spherical fruting heads. It can grow to 30 m (98 ft) or more, and in autumn, its deep green leaves may change to blood red, amber, and yellow. Long cultivated for shade and ornament, and extensive planting since antiquity has made precise limits of its original range difficult to determine.
The generic name Platanus comes from Ancient Greek πλάτανος (plátanos), meaning "plane tree". The word is recorded as a later form of πλατάνιστος (platánistos). The species name orientalis means 'eastern' (in comparison, the 'western' plane (or American sycamore), the only other species known to Linnaeus, is named Platanus occidentalis). It is also well known in Asia from Anatolia to India, where usually called chinar or chenar.
The native distribution is from Italy east through the Balkans, Turkey, and the Caucasus to Iran. As it has been known in cultivation from early times in much of this region it can be difficult to determine if it is truly indigenous in peripheral areas.
The oriental plane is found naturally in riverine settings, together with such trees as alder, willow and poplar. However, it is quite capable of survival and success in dry soils once it is established. It can grow into a massive tree with many examples hundreds of years old. Around ten trees are known from the past and present with a diameter of 4 m (13 ft) or more, with several specimens around 100 m3 (3,500 cu ft) in total volume. A specimen in Ghirmizi Bazar, Karabakh, Republic of Azerbaijan is said to have a DBH of 5 m (16.4 ft), with a girth of 15.71 m (51.54 ft).
Like other plane trees, its leaves are borne alternately on the stem, deeply lobed, and palmate or maple-like. It usually has flaking bark, occasionally not flaking and becoming thick and rugged. Flowers and fruit are round and burr-like, borne in clusters of between two and six on a stem. Considerable variation exists among trees in the wild, and this may be complicated by crossbreeding with planted London planes (Platanus × hispanica), the hybrid of P. orientalis with the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).
The tree is capable of being grown in most temperate latitudes, though it benefits greatly from warm summers. As a very large and wide tree with broad, thick leaves that tend to orient horizontally, it is especially prized for the shade and coolness it provides during the hot season.
It grows best in rich soil in a sunny location and can survive drought well, although young plants appreciate regular watering.
The leaves and bark have been used medicinally. A fabric dye has been made from the twigs and roots. The timber, often called lacewood, is figured and valuable for indoor furniture. The leaves are also often used by artists for leaf carving.
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