Topic summary

Platanus orientalis

Platanus orientalis

Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane, or chinar, is a large, deciduoustree in the familyPlatanaceae, native from the eastern to Iran. It typically grows along rivers, streams and springs, and has broad spreading crown, exfoliating bark, deeply lobed leaves and pendent infructescences bearing spherical fruiting heads. It can grow to 30 m (98 ft) or more, and in autumn, its deep green leaves may change to blood red, amber, and yellow. Long cultivated for shade and ornament, and extensive planting since antiquity has made precise limits of its original range difficult to determine.