Flora of China 9: 44–45. 2003.

PLATANACEAE
悬铃木科 xuan ling mu ke
Zhang Zhiyun (张志耘)1, Zhang Hongda (张宏达 Chang Hung-ta)2; Nicholas J. Turland3
Trees deciduous (rarely semi-evergreen), monoecious. Branches and leaves with branched or stellate tomentum; bark pale
brown, gray, and/or white, smooth, exfoliating in plates. Terminal buds absent; lateral buds ovoid, slightly acute at apex, enclosed by
a separate scale at base of petiole. Leaves alternate; stipules basally surrounding stem, deciduous; petiole long, usually enclosing
axillary bud at base; leaf blade simple, large, usually palmately lobed and subpalmately veined, margin coarsely dentate. Flowering
branchlets leafy only at base, pendulous at least in fruit; inflorescences 1–5(–12), globose-capitate, male and female ones homo-
morphic, borne on separate branchlets. Male flowers: sepals 3–8, triangular, pubescent; petals as many as sepals, oblanceolate; sta-
mens 3–8; filaments short; anther connective enlarging into a peltate scale. Female flowers: carpels 3–8, free; ovary long ovoid, 1-
locular; ovules 1 or 2, anatropous; style elongate, persistent and exserted from inflorescence. Infructescence a capitate or globose
coenocarpium composed of numerous achenes. Achenes narrow and long obconical, 1-seeded, base usually with a tuft of villous
hairs, apex with persistent style; style and hairs often exserted from infructescence. Seeds linear; endosperm thin; cotyledons hetero-
morphic.
One genus and 8–11 species: Central and North America, SW Asia, SE Europe, one species in SE Asia (Laos and N Vietnam); widely cultivated
elsewhere; three species (introduced) in China.
Hoot et al. (Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 86: 1–32. 1999) treated Platanaceae and Proteaceae as well-supported sister taxa forming a less well
supported clade with Nelumbonaceae.
Chang Hung-ta. 1979. Platanaceae. In: Chang Hung-ta, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 35(2): 118–121.

1. PLATANUS Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 999. 1753.

悬铃木属 xuan ling mu shu
Morphological characters and geographical distribution are the same as those of the family.
All three species in China are cultivated, usually as street trees. However, it is possible that Platanus kerrii Gagnepain (Bull. Soc. Bot. France
86: 301. 1939), described from Laos and also recorded from several places in N Vietnam, may yet be found as a wild plant in China (in SW Guangxi
or S Yunnan). In this species, the stipules are very small, the petiole base does not enclose the axillary bud, the leaf blade is long elliptic and pinnately
veined, with an entire margin, and the fruiting branchlets each have 8–12 rather small infructescences.

1a. Fruiting branchlets with (2 or)3–5 infructescences; central leaf lobe longer than wide; stipules less than 1 cm;
flowers 4-merous; basal hairs of achenes exserted from infructescence ..................................................................... 1. P. orientalis
1b. Fruiting branchlets with 1 or 2(or 3) infructescences; central leaf lobe not longer than wide; stipules 1–3 cm;
flowers 4–6-merous; basal hairs of achenes not exserted from infructescence.
2a. Stipules 1–1.5 cm; leaf blade (3 or)5(or 7)-lobed; flowers usually 4-merous; fruiting branchlets with
(1 or)2(or 3) infructescences .................................................................................................................................. 2. P. acerifolia
2b. Stipules bugle-shaped, 2–3 cm; leaf blade 3(or 5)-lobed; flowers 4–6-merous; fruiting branchlets with
1(or 2) infructescences ....................................................................................................................................... 3. P. occidentalis
1. Platanus orientalis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 999. 1753. pubescent; petals oblanceolate; carpels 4; styles elongate, apex
crispate. Fruiting branchlets with (2 or)3–5 infructescences. In-
净土树 jing tu shu
fructescence capitate, 2–2.5 cm in diam. Achenes with persis-
Trees deciduous, to 30 m tall. Young branchlets yellow- tent style spiniform, 3–4 mm; basal hairs yellow; both styles
brown tomentose, old ones glabrous, becoming red-brown after and hairs exserted from infructescence. Fl. Mar–May, fr. Jun–
drying, small lenticellate. Stipules less than 1 cm; petiole terete, Oct.
3–8 cm, tomentose; leaf blade broadly ovate, 9–18 × 8–16 cm, Cultivated in China [native to SW Asia and SE Europe].
deeply (3 or)5- or 7-lobed, both surfaces gray-yellow pubescent
at first, glabrate and then pubescent only along veins abaxially, 2. Platanus acerifolia (Aiton) Willdenow, Sp. Pl. 1: 474. 1797.
principal veins 3 or 5, arising from base, base shallowly cordate 法国梧桐 fa guo wu tong
or subtruncate; central lobe 7–9 × 4–6 cm, margin lobed; lateral
lobes shorter, margin coarsely dentate. Flowers 4-merous. Male Platanus orientalis Linnaeus var. acerifolia Aiton, Hort.
flowers: sepals short, small; stamens much longer than petals; Kew. 3: 364. 1789; P. hybrida Brotero.
filaments very short; anthers elongate. Female flowers: sepals Trees deciduous, to 30 m tall. Young branchlets densely

1
Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, People’s Republic of
China.
2
Life Sciences College, Zhongshan (Sunyatsen) University, Guangzhou 510275, People’s Republic of China.
3
Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166-0299, U.S.A.
 PLATANACEAE

gray-yellow tomentose, old ones red-brown, glabrous. Stipules 3. Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 999. 1753.
1–1.5 cm; petiole 3–10 cm, densely yellow-brown pubescent;
悬铃木 xuan ling mu
leaf blade broadly ovate, 12–25 × 10–24 cm, (3 or)5(or 7)-
lobed, gray-yellow pubescent on both surfaces when young, Trees deciduous, to 40 m tall. Young branchlets yellow-
glabrate and then pubescent only at vein axils abaxially, princi- brown tomentose. Stipules 2–3 cm, bugle-shaped, deciduous;
pal veins 3(or 5), arising from base or lateral 2(or 4) from mid- petiole 4–7 cm, densely tomentose; leaf blade broadly ovate, 8–
vein above base, base subcordate or truncate; lobes entire or 20 × 10–22 cm, 3(or 5)-lobed, gray-yellow tomentose on both
coarsely 1- or 2-dentate at margin; central lobe broadly triangu- surfaces at first, soon glabrate and then pubescent only along
lar, as long as wide. Flowers usually 4-merous. Male flowers: veins abaxially, principal veins 3, lateral 2 arising from midvein
sepals ovate, pubescent; petals oblong, ca. 2 × as long as sepals; ca. 1 cm above base, base broadly cordate, truncate, or sub-
stamens longer than petals; anther connective peltate, pubes- cuneate; lobes shortly triangular, margin coarsely numerous
cent. Fruiting branchlets with (1 or)2(or 3) infructescences. dentate. Flowers 4–6-merous. Male flowers: sepals and petals
Infructescence capitate, ca. 2.5 cm in diam. Achenes with per- short, small; filaments very short; anthers peltate, elongate;
sistent style spiniform, 2–3 mm; basal hairs absent or very connective glabrous. Female flowers: long tomentose at base;
short, not exserted from infructescence. Fl. Mar–May, fr. Jun– sepals short, small; petals 4–5 × as long as sepals; carpels 4–6;
Oct. styles elongate, longer than petals. Fruiting branchlets with 1(or
Cultivated in C, NE, and S China [of cultivated origin in SW Asia
2) infructescences. Infructescence globose, ca. 3 cm in diam.
or Europe]. Achenes obtuse at apex, with persistent style very short; basal
hairs ca. 1/2 as long as achene, not exserted from infruc-
This widely planted tree is either a hybrid between Platanus occi- tescence. Fl. Mar–May, fr. Jun–Oct.
dentalis and P. orientalis or a cultivar of P. orientalis; the origin has
been much discussed but remains uncertain. Cultivated in C and N China [native to North America].
PLATANACEAE