The plant around us. Volume 1 The plant around us. Volume I | Page 6

Acer pseudoplatanus
English: Sycamore
Spanish: Arce blanco
Flowers
Unisexual flowers, small,
yellowish, in long clusters
and pendulums. They
produce copious amounts
of pollen and nectar that
are attractive to insects.
Large tree that reaches 30 m. The bark is grey,
smooth when young and later flaking in irregular
patches. In its native range, the sycamore is
associated with a biodiverse range of invertebrates
and fungi, but these are not always present in areas
to which it has been introduced. It is sometimes
planted in urban areas for its value as an amenity
tree.
Leaves
The leaves have a long, reddish petiole.
The limbus presents 5 very acute lobes,
the 3 major centrals and the 2 lateral.
The margin is covered by spaced and
acuminate teeth. Acer and Platanus differ
in the position in which leaves are
attached to the stem (alternate in
Platanus, paired or opposite in Acer)
Fruit
The fruits are paired winged
seeds or samaras, the seeds
5 to 10 mm in diameter, each
with a wing 20 to 40 mm long
developed as an extension of
the ovary wall.