231. SYCAMORE or buttonwood (_Platanus occidentalis_ L.) a common tree,
along stream banks and in low woods, often the largest tree in its
locality as it grows rapidly. Bark: thin, smooth, greenish gray, flaking
off in large patches and exposing the under bark which is whitish like
that on limbs, especially conspicuous in winter woods. Leaves: 4 to 7
inches long and about as broad, very coarsely toothed, often shallowly 3
or 5-lobed, light green above, paler below. Twigs: slender, rather shiny
and zigzag; bud with a single, cap-like scale, enclosed by the base of
the leaf-stalk. Fruit: a compact ball about 1 inch across, remaining on
its drooping stem all winter, composed of many seeds which separate and
are blown away in spring. Often planted as street tree because of rapid
growth and resistance to drouth, but the large leaves and flaking bark
cause unsightly litter. Wood: coarse-grained, hard, not strong, heavy,
hard to split; used for butchers’ blocks, furniture, interior trim, and
tobacco boxes.