555. Of the plane-tree there are several species. The most common are the Oriental Plane and the Occidental Plane.

556. The Oriental Plane (Platanus orientalis) is a native of the Levant, and other eastern countries, and is considered one of the finest of trees. It attains about 60 to 80 feet in height, and has been known to exceed 8 feet in diameter. Its wood is much like beech, but more figured, and is used in England for furniture, etc. The Persians employ it for their furniture, doors, and windows, and various other purposes of carpentry.

557. The Occidental Plane (Platanus occidenlalis) is a native of North America, and is perhaps one of the largest of the American trees; on the fertile banks of the Ohio and Mississippi some of the trees exceed 12 feet in diameter: the usual size is, however, about 3 or 4 feet in diameter. It is sometimes called water-beech, button-wood, and sycamore; but the wood called sycamore in this country is a species of maple. The wood of the occidental plane is harder than that of the oriental kind; but the former is the most common in Britain.

The colour of the wood of the occidental plane-tree is nearly the same as that of beech, and it also closely resembles it in structure; it differs in the larger medullary rays, as in the plane the rays are more numerous, producing very beautiful appearances when properly cut. It works easily, and stands moderately well, but is short-grained and easily broken.

The cohesive force of a square inch is about 11,000 lbs.; its modulus of elasticity is 1,343,000 lbs. per square inch; and it weighs from 40 to 46 lbs. per cubic foot when dry.

The wood of the occidental plane is very durable in water, and on that account the Americans use it for wooden quays in preference to any other kind.