Platanus

Trees of the genus platanus are known as sycamores in North America and the Far East. They are members of the Platanaceae family.

Sycamore
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Hamamelidales Family: Platanaceae Genus: Platanus
Species
Platanus X acerifolia -- London planetree     (hybrid) Platanus occidentalis - American sycamore Platanus orientalis - Oriental planetree Platanus racemosa - western sycamore     (California sycamore) Platanus wrightii - Arizona sycamore

These sycamores are wetland and riparian trees. Several species can grow to great size. The London plane tree, a sycamore hybrid, is commonly planted in parks and along streets in the eastern United States.

The seeds of the sycamore are borne in balls. The core of the ball is 1 cm in diameter and is covered with a net of mesh 1 mm, which can be peeled off. The ball is 3 cm in diameter and contains several hundred seeds, each of which is conical, with the point attached to the net, and has many thin stiff yellow-green fibers attached to the point.