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Creatures » » Plants » » Dicotyledons » » Soapberry Family »

Sycamore Maple

Acer pseudoplatanus L.

Biology

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The sycamore flowers in April, shortly after the leaves appear. The seeds ripen in autumn; their spiralling descent increases the time it takes for them to fall to the ground, and so maximises the chance that they will be dispersed further away from the parent tree in the wind (4). The maximum age of a sycamore is thought to be around 500 years (4). This species spreads very rapidly, quickly colonising new areas; it is removed from sensitive habitats by conservationists as it shades out native species. The tree is also notorious for producing a mucus-like slime as the leaves decompose, creating menacing conditions on footpaths, and bringing trains to a standstill. However, the leaves decompose rapidly and are now known to give a 'boost' to earthworm numbers. Furthermore, in urban areas, sycamores are often the only source of insect food (chiefly aphids) for birds such as house martens (Delichon urbica) (3). Although it is not a native species, the sycamore has become a firmly established feature of many local cultures, as well as emblems of certain places. In Wales, clogs and love-spoons are fashioned from sycamore wood, harvest cakes were baked upon sycamore leaves in the West-country, and sycamores are often one of the first trees a child learns to recognise, by virtue of the 'helicopter' seeds. There are also many 'landmark' sycamores around the country, the most famous of which is the Martyrs' Tree on Tolpuddle Green in Dorset. In the 1830s, the Tolpuddle Martyrs formed the first agricultural trade union at meetings held beneath this famous tree; they were deported to Australia, as meetings of this kind were illegal at that time. The tree still survives, and is currently cared for by the Trades Union Congress (3).
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Conservation

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Conservation action has not been targeted at this introduced species.
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Description

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The sycamore is a well-known tree, thought to have been introduced to Britain from Europe in the 15th or 16th Century (3). The domed crown is often broader than it is tall, as it can become very widely spread. The bark is grey and fissured, forming rectangular plates; orange patches may be revealed as these plates peels away. The dark green five-lobed leaves turn a deep golden-yellow colour in autumn (4). Both the shape and size of the leaves vary with the age of the tree (2). During April, many yellowish flowers grow in narrow, drooping heads (2). The paired, winged fruits are known to children as 'helicopters' in England because of their propeller-like path of descent (3).
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Habitat

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In its native range, this tree occurs in woods and hedgerows. It is an extremely robust species, and in Britain thrives in many habitats, even in city parks, and by the coast where native trees become stunted (4).
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Range

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The sycamore is native to central and southern Europe. It was introduced to Britain, where it was popular in parks and walkways for its shade-giving properties (2). It has since become naturalised, and is widespread (3).
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Status

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Widespread and common (2).
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Threats

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This tree is not threatened.
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Associations

provided by BioImages, the virtual fieldguide, UK
Foodplant / saprobe
subiculate perithecium of Acanthonitschkea tristis is saprobic on wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 3-5

Foodplant / gall
Aceria pseudoplatani causes gall of leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / gall
Aculops acericola causes gall of live leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 4-

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Agrocybe cylindracea parasitises branch of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Agrocybe erebia is associated with Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Agrocybe rivulosa is associated with rotting, heating up, piled wood chips of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
gregarious or a few connate, eventually superficial pycnidium of Aposphaeria coelomycetous anamorph of Aposphaeria inophila var. pseudoplatani is saprobic on dead, rotten, decorticate trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 1-3

Foodplant / pathogen
Armillaria mellea s.l. infects and damages Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / gall
Artacris macrorhynchus causes gall of live leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / parasite
hypophyllous, immersed, densely clustered into groups pycnidium of Asteromella coelomycetous anamorph of Asteromella platanoidis parasitises fading cotyledon of seedling of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 6-11

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Athelia alnicola is saprobic on fallen, decayed leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / resting place / on
effuse, epiphyllous colony of Aureobasidium dematiaceous anamorph of Aureobasidium pullulans may be found on live leaf upperside of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Auricularia auricula-judae is saprobic on wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Bjerkandera fumosa is saprobic on decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Bolbitius reticulatus is saprobic on decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Botryobasidium pruinatum is saprobic on decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Brevicellicium exile is saprobic on decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Byssomerulius corium is saprobic on fallen, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Calocybe ionides is associated with Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
subepidermal, raising and eventually rupturing the epidermis pycnidium of Camarosporium coelomycetous anamorph of Camarosporium ambiens is saprobic on dead, fallen branch (small) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 1-7

Foodplant / saprobe
basidiome of Ceriporia excelsa is saprobic on large, decayed, fallen trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
basidiome of Ceriporia purpurea is saprobic on large, decayed, fallen trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
basidiome of Ceriporiopsis gilvescens is saprobic on decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
basidiome of Ceriporiopsis pannocincta is saprobic on decayed, soft white-rotted wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
basidiome of Cerrena unicolor is saprobic on fallen, dead trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
superficial pycnidium of Chaetomella coelomycetous anamorph of Chaetomella acutiseta is saprobic on dead leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
thinly subiculate perithecium of Chaetosphaerella fusispora is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 9-7

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Clitocybe truncicola is saprobic on dead, decayed trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
gregarious, minute, base immersed then free, black pycnidium of Rhabdospora coelomycetous anamorph of Collonema papillatum is saprobic on dead, fallen bark (inner surface) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 12-1

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Coniophora arida is saprobic on decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Coprinellus domesticus is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
caespitose fruitbody of Coprinopsis insignis is saprobic on around root of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Crepidotus applanatus var. applanatus is saprobic on decayed log of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Crepidotus caspari is saprobic on decayed, dead, fallen branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Crepidotus cesatii is saprobic on decayed, dead twig of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / spot causer
colony of Cristulariella anamorph of Cristulariella depraedans causes spots on live, green leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 8-9

Foodplant / saprobe
short-stalked apothecium of Crocicreas subhyalinum is saprobic on dead, fallen petiole of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 10-11
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Crustomyces expallens is saprobic on hard, barely decayed, corticate log (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
erumpent conidioma of Diplodina coelomyceous anamorph of Cryptodiaporthe hystrix is saprobic on branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 3-4

Foodplant / saprobe
gregarious, long concealed by epidermis pycnidium of Phomopsis coelomycetous anamorph of Cryptodiaporthe lebiseyi is saprobic on branch of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / pathogen
colony of Cryptostroma dematiaceous anamorph of Cryptostroma corticale infects and damages worked wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Cylindrobasidium laeve is saprobic on dead, rotting brashing of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
widely effused, thin, black stroma of Cytosporina coelomycetous anamorph of Cytosporina acharii is saprobic on dead, decorticate branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
cortical, bursting through, multilocular, dark-brown stroma of Cytosporina coelomycetous anamorph of Cytosporina notha is saprobic on dead, dry bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
bracket of Daedaleopsis confragosa is saprobic on dead wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Plant / associate
larva of Dasysyrphus tricinctus is associated with aphid infested leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
bracket of Datronia mollis is saprobic on dying branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Dendrothele acerina is associated with living bark (trunk) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
gregarious, immersed, zonate pycnidium of Phomopsis coelomycetous anamorph of Diaporthe pustulata is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: winter

Foodplant / sap sucker
Drepanosiphum platanoides sucks sap of live bud of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: spring-summer
Other: major host/prey

Plant / epiphyte
Echinostelium apitectum grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
larva of Epistrophe grossulariae is associated with aphid-infested leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / gall
Eriophyes pseudoplatani causes gall of live leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 5-9

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Erythricium laetum is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / sap sucker
Eulecanium excrescens sucks sap of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
stroma of Eutypa maura is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 3-4

Foodplant / saprobe
stroma of Eutypella acericola is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 2-3
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Exidia nucleata is saprobic on dead, fallen, usually decorticate wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Exidia plana is saprobic on dead, fallen wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Exidia thuretiana is saprobic on dead, fallen wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed, clustered in groups of up to 15 pseudothecium of Fenestella vestita is saprobic on dead branch (small) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 2-3

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Flammulaster granulosus is associated with Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Flammulina velutipes var. velutipes is saprobic on dead wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: mainly winter

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Fomes fomentarius parasitises live, standing trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Ganoderma applanatum parasitises live trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Geastrum fimbriatum is associated with Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / pathogen
immersed, becoming erumpent conidioma of Dichomera coelomycetous anamorph of Gibberella zeae infects and damages live trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Gloeocystidiellum clavuligerum is saprobic on decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Gloeohypochnicium analogum is saprobic on large, fallen, decayed log of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed perithecium of Gnomonia cerastis is saprobic on dead leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 2-4

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Gymnopilus junonius is saprobic on decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / mycorrhiza / ectomycorrhiza
fruitbody of Gyroporus cyanescens is ectomycorrhizal with live root of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: Other: uncertain
Other: minor host/prey

Plant / epiphyte
Hemitrichia abietina grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Hericium cirrhatum is saprobic on fallen, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / mobile cased feeder
full-grown larva of Heterarthrus aceris grazes in mobile case on leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / miner
larva of Heterarthrus cuneifrons mines well-shaded leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: sole host/prey

Foodplant / pathogen
fruitbody of Heterobasidion annosum infects and damages live root of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Hyalopeziza ciliata is saprobic on old, fallen, dead leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 10-1

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Hydropus scabripes is saprobic on decayed, fallen leaf of litter of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
stalked apothecium of Hymenoscyphus caudatus is saprobic on rotting leaf midrib of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 6-12

Plant / associate
shortly stipitate apothecium of Hymenoscyphus subpallescens is associated with bark of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 11

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Hyphodermella corrugata is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Hyphodontia breviseta is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Hypochnicium vellereum is saprobic on dead, attached, decayed bark of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: mainly winter

Foodplant / saprobe
stroma of Hypoxylon fragiforme is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
Geniculosporium anamorph of Hypoxylon howeanum is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 1-4
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / mycorrhiza / ectomycorrhiza
fruitbody of Inocybe calamistrata is ectomycorrhizal with live root of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: Other: uncertain
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Inonotus cuticularis is saprobic on live trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
caespitose fruitbody of Kuehneromyces mutabilis is saprobic on decayed, dead stump (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Lachnum acerinum is saprobic on dead leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 10

Foodplant / saprobe
short-stalked apothecium of Lachnum radotinense is saprobic on dead leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 10-11

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Lachnum rhytismatis is saprobic on dead leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 10-4

Foodplant / saprobe
stalked apothecium of Lanzia luteovirescens is saprobic on old, rotting, fallen, locally blackened petiole of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 10-11

Foodplant / saprobe
scattered, superficial apothecium of Lanzia vacini is saprobic on rotting, fallen leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Lepista saeva is associated with Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Leucoagaricus serenus is saprobic on dead, decayed leaf of litter of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
Licea crateriformis grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
Licea erddigensis grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
Licea margaritacea grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
Licea operculata grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
Licea parasitica grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Limacella delicata var. delicata is associated with Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
fruitbody of Lyophyllum favrei is associated with Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Macrotyphula juncea is saprobic on damp litter of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Marasmiellus candidus is saprobic on dead, fallen twig of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Marasmius alliaceus is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed branch (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Marasmius epiphyllus is saprobic on dead, fallen, decaying leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Marasmius torquescens is saprobic on debris of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed, single or in small group pseudothecium of Massaria inquinans is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 3-5

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Megalocystidium luridum is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
larva of Melangyna guttata is associated with aphid-infested Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Meripilus giganteus is saprobic on dead trunk (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Micromphale brassicolens var. brassicolens is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed branch of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Micromphale foetidum is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed stick of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Mollisina acerina is saprobic on rotting leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 11-2

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Mycena pseudocorticola is saprobic on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Mycena rosea is saprobic on dead, fallen, decaying leaf of litter of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Mycoacia aurea is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Mycoacia uda is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed, white rotted log of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Mycoaciella bispora is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous colony of Mycocentrospora anamorph of Mycocentrospora acerina causes spots on live leaf of seedling of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous, usually clustered acervulus of Phloeospora coelomycetous anamorph of Mycosphaerella latebrosa causes spots on live leaf of seedling especially of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 7+

Foodplant / saprobe
sporodochium of Tubercularia anamorph of Nectria cinnabarina is saprobic on cut or fallen branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Plant / associate
Orthotylus flavinervis is associated with Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Ossicaulis lignatilis is saprobic on dead, decayed, fallen wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Oudemansiella mucida is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Oxyporus latemarginatus is saprobic on dead, fallen usually decayed, white rotten trunk (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Oxyporus obducens is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / parasite
fruitbody of Oxyporus populinus parasitises live trunk (young) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Panellus stipticus is saprobic on live trunk (wounded) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Panus conchatus is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed branch (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
Paradiacheopsis solitaria grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
resupinate fruitbody of Peniophora cinerea is saprobic on dead wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Peniophora lycii is saprobic on dead, fallen stick of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Peniophora nuda is saprobic on dead, attached branch of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
Perichaena chrysosperma grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / sap sucker
Periphyllus sucks sap of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / sap sucker
Periphyllus testudinaceus sucks sap of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
sessile, clustered, erumpent through cracks in bark, sessile apothecium of Pezicula carnea is saprobic on bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Phanerochaete sordida is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Phanerochaete tuberculata is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Phanerochaete velutina is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
densely swarming apothecium of Phialina lachnobrachya is saprobic on decaying leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 9-11
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Phlebia rufa is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
densely gregarious, erumpent pycnidium of Phomopsis coelomycetous anamorph of Phomopsis platanoidis is saprobic on dead twig of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 5

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed perithecium of Plagiostoma inclinatum is saprobic on rotting petiole of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 2-7

Foodplant / parasite
Asteroma coelomycetous anamorph of Pleuroceras pseudoplatani parasitises leaf (veins) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: summer

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Pleurotus dryinus is saprobic on live, standing trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Pluteus chrysophaeus is saprobic on dead, very decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Pluteus hispidulus is saprobic on dead, fallen, moss-covered trunk (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Pluteus petasatus is saprobic on dead, decayed stump (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Pluteus phlebophorus is saprobic on dead, fallen, very decayed trunk (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Pluteus thomsonii is saprobic on dead, decayed, often part buried wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Pluteus umbrosus is saprobic on dead, fallen, very decayed trunk (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Polyporus durus is saprobic on dead, fallen, very decayed trunk (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Polyporus leptocephalus is saprobic on dead, decayed stump (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Polyporus squamosus is saprobic on dead, decaying wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Postia balsamea is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Postia ceriflua is saprobic on dead wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Postia subcaesia is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed stick of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / open feeder
larva of Pristiphora subbifida grazes on leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
grouped (up to 20), immersed perithecium of Prosthecium platanoidis is saprobic on branch (small) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 1-3

Foodplant / sap sucker
Pulvinaria regalis sucks sap of live branch of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
erumpent apothecium of Pyrenopeziza petiolaris is saprobic on rotting petiole of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 5-10

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Resupinatus applicatus is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Resupinatus trichotis is saprobic on dead, attached branch (small) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
partly immersed perithecium of Rhamphoria bevanii is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 7

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Rhodotus palmatus is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / spot causer
epiphyllous stroma of Melasmia coelomycetous spermatial anamorph of Rhytisma acerinum causes spots on live leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: (7)8-9
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Rigidoporus ulmarius is saprobic on dead, white-rotted stump (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / parasite
superficial, mostly hypophyllous cleistothecium of Sawadaea bicornis parasitises live leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 10

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Schizophyllum commune is saprobic on dead, fallen wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Simocybe centunculus var. centunculus is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed log (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Simocybe haustellaris is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Skeletocutis nivea is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed stick of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
pseudothecium of Splanchnonema pupula is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 1-3

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Spongipellis delectans is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed branch (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
scattered, erumpent, black pycnidium of Stagonospora coelomycetous anamorph of Stagonospora lophiostoma is saprobic on dead twig of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 5,10

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Steccherinum fimbriatum is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Steccherinum ochraceum is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed twig of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
acervulus of Stegonsporium coelomycetous anamorph of Stegonsporium pyriforme is saprobic on dead, attached branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 10-6
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Stereum rameale is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed stick (thin) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Stereum subtomentosum is saprobic on dead, fallen branch (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Stypella dubia is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Plant / associate
larva of Syrphus ribesii is associated with aphid-infested Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
larva of Syrphus torvus is associated with aphid-infested Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / associate
larva of Syrphus vitripennis is associated with aphid-infested Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
Cyclotherium coelomycetous anamorph of Thyridaria rubronotata is saprobic on dead branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 12-3
Other: major host/prey

Plant / resting place / on
fruitbody of Tomentellopsis pusilla may be found on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Trametes gibbosa is saprobic on dead, decayed stump (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Trametes ochracea is saprobic on dead wood of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
colony of Trentepohlia abietina grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / epiphyte
Trichia munda grows on live bark of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
sessile apothecium of Trichodiscus virescentulus is saprobic on decaying, almost skeletonised leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
colony of Trisulcosporium dematiaceous anamorph of Trisulcosporium acerinum is saprobic on rotten, fallen leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Plant / resting place / on
Tubulicium vermiferum may be found on live trunk of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Typhula crassipes is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Typhula erythropus is saprobic on dead, fallen, decayed leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
sclerotial fruitbody of Typhula phacorrhiza is saprobic on damp, dead, decayed leaf of litter of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Typhula setipes is saprobic on damp, dead, decayed leaf of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / hemiparasite
haustorium of Viscum album is hemiparasitic on branch of Acer pseudoplatanus

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Volvariella bombycina is saprobic on dead stump (large) of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Volvariella caesiotincta is saprobic on dead, decayed wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Vuilleminia comedens is saprobic on dead, decorticate, attached branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
erect stroma of Xylaria longipes is saprobic on fallen, rotten branch of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 9-12
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
erect stroma of Xylaria polymorpha is saprobic on wood of Acer pseudoplatanus
Remarks: season: 9-11

Foodplant / internal feeder
caterpillar of Zeuzera pyrina feeds within live bud of Acer pseudoplatanus

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Brief Summary

provided by EOL authors
Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore or sycamore maple, is native to central Europe and southwestern Asia. It is not a member of the Platanus genus (sycamore or plane tree), but the superficial similarity of its leaves led to its being named “pseudoplatanus,” from the Greek “pseudo-” for “false.” (The name “sycamore” originally belongs to the fig, Ficus sycomorus, of southwest Asia—the sycamore or “sycamore” of the Bible [Wikipedia 2011].) This species is also sometimes confused with Acer platanoides (Norway maple).

The sycamore maple is a large deciduous tree, 20–35 m tall, with a broad, domed crown. Bark is smooth and grey on young trees, becoming rougher with age and breaking up in scales, exposing pale-brown-to-pinkish inner bark. The leaves are opposite, palmately veined with five lobes that have toothed edges. Leaves are generally dark green, but cultivars have been developed with purplish, yellowish, and salmon-colored leaves. The monoecious yellow-green flowers appear in the spring on 10–20 cm pendulous racemes, with 20–50 flowers on each stalk; the flowers are scented and produce nectar to attract insect pollinators, in contrast to many Acer species, which are often wind pollinated. The fruits are winged nutlets (samaras), with 5–10 mm diameter seeds, each with a 20–40 mm long wing to catch the wind and rotate when they fall (Wikipedia 2011).

Sycamore maple tolerates wind, urban pollution and salt spray, which makes it popular for planting in cities and along roads and coastal areas. It is widely cultivated north of its native range in northern Europe, notably in the British Isles and Scandinavia, and has naturalized widely during the past several hundred years. Its range is also expanding following the most recent glaciation, so that it is no longer always clear where the native range is within Europe, and where it is introduced or naturalized from plantings (Weidema and Buchwald 2010, Wikipedia 2011). It is, however, considered invasive in northern Norway, and is sometimes removed from natural forests in Great Britain to prevent its further spread (Binggeli 1992).

Sycamore maple has been planted in temperate and coastal areas worldwide. It is considered invasive in regions including New Zealand, Australia, and Chile (Wikipedia 2011, Binggeli 1992). In North America, it has naturalized from plantings in New England, New York City, and the Pacific Northwest; it is prohibited for sale or planting in Connecticut and Massachusetts (USDA, NRCS 2011).

Sycamore maple is used for timber production in Europe, as an ornamental and specimen tree, and in Bonsai. Its medium-weight white wood is used for making musical instruments, furniture, wood flooring and parquetry. Occasional trees produce wavy-grained wood, known as rippled sycamore, which is valued for decorative veneers (Wikipedia 2011). The flowers are appreciated by apiarists for honey production.

A. pseudoplatanus is the type species of the genus Acer. The genus is sometimes classified in its own family, Aceraceae, but is grouped in Sapindaceae (along with Hippocastanaceae) in the most recent version of the Angiosperm Phyologeny Group system (Stevens 2001).
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Acer pseudoplatanus

provided by wikipedia EN

Acer pseudoplatanus, known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, tolerant of wind and coastal exposure. It is native to Central Europe and Western Asia, from France eastward to Ukraine, northern Turkey and the Caucasus and southward in the mountains of Italy and northern Iberia.

The sycamore establishes itself easily from seed and was introduced to the British Isles by 1500. It is now naturalised there and in other parts of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, where it may become an invasive species.[4]

The sycamore can grow to a height of about 35 m (115 ft) and the branches form a broad, rounded crown. The bark is grey, smooth when young and later flaking in irregular patches. The leaves grow on long leafstalks and are large and palmate, with five large radiating lobes. The flowers are greenish-yellow and hang in dangling flowerheads called panicles. They produce copious amounts of pollen and nectar that are attractive to insects. The winged seeds or samaras are borne in pairs and twirl to the ground when ripe. They germinate freely in the following spring.

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. It produces a hard-wearing, creamy-white close-grained timber that is used for making musical instruments, furniture, joinery, wood flooring and kitchen utensils. It also makes good firewood. The rising sap in spring has been used to extract sugar and make alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Bees collecting the nectar make honey.

Taxonomy and etymology

Acer pseudoplatanus was first described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum in 1753. It is the type species in the maple genus Acer. Many forms and varieties have been proposed, including natural varieties such as var. macrocarpum Spach, var. microcarpum Spach, and var. tomentosum Tausch, and forms such as f. erythrocarpum (Carrière) Pax, f. purpureum (Loudon) Rehder, and f. variegatum (Weston) Rehder. These are all now considered to be synonyms of Acer pseudoplatanus L.[2]

The specific name pseudoplatanus refers to the superficial similarity of the leaves and bark of the sycamore to those of plane trees in the genus Platanus, the prefix pseudo- (from Ancient Greek) meaning "false". However, the two genera are in different families that are only distantly related.[5] Acer and Platanus differ in the position in which leaves are attached to the stem (alternate in Platanus, paired or opposite in Acer) and in their fruit, which are spherical clusters in Platanus and paired samaras (winged fruit) in Acer.[6]

The common name "sycamore" was originally applied to the fig species Ficus sycomorus, the sycamore or sycomore referred to in the Bible, that is native to Africa and Southwest Asia.[7] Other common names for the tree include false plane-tree,[8] great maple,[8] Scottish maple,[8] mount maple,[9] mock-plane,[10][11] or Celtic maple.[12]

Description

Illustration of twigs, buds, leaves, flowers and fruits
Acer pseudoplatanus can form a broad, domed crown
Acer pseudoplatanus in early October in Lower Austria

The sycamore is a large, broad-leaved deciduous tree that reaches 20–35 m (66–115 ft) tall at maturity, the branches forming a broad, domed crown. The bark of young trees is smooth and grey but becomes rougher with age and breaks up into scales, exposing the pale-brown-to-pinkish inner bark.[13]: 118 

Sycamore shoot tip in winter with a green terminal bud and paired green lateral buds

The buds are produced in opposite pairs, ovoid (approximately oval in shape) and pointed, with the bud scales (the modified leaves that enclose and protect the bud) green, edged in dark brown and with dark brown tips, 0.5–1 centimetre (1438 in).[13] When the leaves are shed they leave horseshoe-shaped marks called leaf scars on the stem. The leaves are opposite, large, 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in) long and broad, palmate with 5 pointed lobes that are coarsely toothed or serrated.[13][14]: 372  They have a leathery texture with thick veins protruding on the underside. They are dark green in colour with a paler underside. Some cultivars have purple-tinged or yellowish leaves. The leaf stalk or petiole is 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in) long, is often tinged red[13][15][16] with no stipules or leaf-like structures at the base.[13]

The functionally monoecious (bisexual) or dioecious yellow-green flowers are produced after the leaves in early summer, in May or June in the British Isles,[14]: 394 [17]: 396  on pendulous panicles 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) long with about 60–100 flowers on each stalk.[13] The fruits are paired winged seeds or samaras, the seeds 5 to 10 mm (14 to 38 in) in diameter, each with a wing 20 to 40 mm (34 to 1+58 in) long developed as an extension of the ovary wall. The wings are held at about right angles to each other,[14] distinguishing them from those of A. platanoides and A. campestre, in which the wings are almost opposite,[14] and from those of A. saccharum, in which they are almost parallel. When shed, the wing of the samara catches the wind and rotates the fruit as it falls, slowing its descent and enabling the wind to disperse it further from the parent tree. The seeds are mature in autumn about four months after pollination.[15][16]

The sycamore is tetraploid (each cell having four sets of chromosomes, 2n=52), whereas A. campestre and A. platanoides are diploid (with 2 sets of chromosomes, 2n=26).[14]

Botany

Sycamore trees produce their flowers in hanging branched clusters known as panicles that contain a variety of different flower types. Most are morphologically bisexual, with both male and female organs, but function as if they were unisexual. Some are both morphologically and functionally male, others morphologically bisexual but function as males, and still others are morphologically bisexual but function as females. All of the flower types can produce pollen, but the pollen from functionally female flowers does not germinate. All flowers produce nectar, the functionally female flowers producing it in greater volume and with a higher sugar content.[18]

Sycamore trees are very variable across their wide range and have strategies to prevent self-pollination, which is undesirable because it limits the genetic variation of the progeny and may depress their vigour.[19] Most inflorescences are formed of a mixture of functionally male and functionally female flowers. On any one tree, one or other of these flower types opens first and the other type opens later. Some trees may be male-starters in one year and female-starters in another. The change from one sex to the other may take place on different dates in different parts of the crown, and different trees in any one population may come into bloom over the course of several weeks, so that cross-pollination is encouraged, although self-pollination may not be completely prevented.[18]

The sycamore may hybridise with other species in Acer section Acer, including with A. heldreichii where their natural ranges overlap and with A.velutinum. Intersectional hybrids with A. griseum (Acer section Trifoliata) are also known, in which the basal lobes of the leaf are reduced in size, making the leaves appear almost three-lobed (trifoliate).[20]

Distribution

The sycamore is native to central and eastern Europe and western Asia. Its natural range includes Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, southern Russia, Spain, Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia.[4][21] Reports of it occurring in eastern Turkey have been found to refer to A. heldreichii subsp. trautvetteri.[4] It was probably introduced into Britain in the Tudor period by 1500[22] and was first recorded in the wild in 1632 in Kent.[23]: 28 [24] The date of its first introduction into Ireland is unclear, but the oldest specimen in Ireland is in County Cavan and dates from the seventeenth century.[25] It was introduced into Sweden around 1770 with seeds obtained from Holland.[26][27][28]: 76 

The lack of old native names for it has been used to demonstrate its absence in Britain before introduction in around 1487, but this is challenged by the presence of an old Scottish Gaelic name for the tree, fior chrann which suggests a longer presence in Scotland at least as far back as the Gaelic settlement at Dál Riata in the late 6th and early 7th centuries. This would make it either an archaeophyte (a naturalised tree introduced by humans before 1500) or perhaps native if it can be seen to have reached Scotland without human intervention.[29]: 6  At the moment it is usually classified as a neophyte, a plant that is naturalised but arrived with humans on or after the year 1500.[12] Today, the sycamore is present in 3,461 (89.7%) of hectads in Britain, more than any native tree species.[30]: 388 [31]

The sycamore has been introduced to suitable locations outside Europe as an attractive tree for park, street or garden. These include the United States, Canada, Australia (Victoria and Tasmania), Chile and New Zealand,[4][32] Patagonia[24] and the laurel forests of Madeira and the Azores.[33]: 74  At the time of its introduction it was probably not appreciated that its prolific production of seeds might one day cause a problem to the landscape as it spread and out-competed native species.[34]: 334  The tree is now considered to be an environmental weed in some parts of Australia (Yarra Ranges, Victoria) and also Mount Macedon, near Daylesford, parts of the Dandenong Ranges, where it is naturalised in the eucalypt forests.[35] The sycamore is also scattered in north-eastern Tasmania and also at Taroona, near the Derwent River, in southern Hobart. It is considered to be an invasive species in New Zealand,[36] Norway,[37] and environmentally sensitive locations in the United Kingdom.[38]

In about 1870, the sycamore was introduced into the United States, and was planted in New York state and New Jersey. It was later cultivated as a park or street tree in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. By the early part of the 21st century, it was naturalised in fourteen states (Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.), and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario.[39] The United States Department of Agriculture considers it an invasive species.[3]

Ecology

Leaf showing tar spot

In its native range, the sycamore is a natural component of birch (Betula sp.), beech (Fagus sp.) and fir (Abies sp.) forests.[40] It readily invades disturbed habitats such as forest plantations, abandoned farmland and brownfield land, railway lines and roadsides verges, hedgerows, native and semi-natural woodland. In New Zealand, it invades the high country tussock grassland. As an introduced, invasive species, it may degrade the laurel forest in Madeira and Portugal and is a potential threat to the rare endemic Madeiran orchid, Dactylorhiza foliosa.[22]

It is tolerant of a wide range of soil types and pH, except heavy clay, and is at its best on nutrient-rich, slightly calcareous soils. The roots of the sycamore form highly specific beneficial mycorrhizal associations with the fungus Glomus hoi, which promotes phosphorus uptake from the soil.[41] Sycamore mycorrhizas are of the internal arbuscular mycorrhizal type, in which the fungus grows within the tissues of the root and forms branched, tree-like structures within the cells of the root cortex.[41]

The larvae of a number of species of moth use the leaves as a food source. These include the sycamore moth (Acronicta aceris), the maple prominent (Ptilodon cucullina) and the plumed prominent (Ptilophora plumigera).[5] The horse-chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella) occasionally lays its eggs on the sycamore, although 70% of the larvae do not survive beyond the second instar.[42]: 24  The leaves attract aphids, and also the ladybirds and hoverflies that feed on them. The flowers produce copious amounts of nectar and pollen and are attractive to bees and other insects, and the seeds are eaten by small mammals such as voles and birds.[5] As an introduced plant, in Britain the sycamore has a relatively small associated insect fauna of about 15 species,[43] but it does have a larger range of leafhoppers than does the native field maple.[44]

The tree may also be attacked by the horse chestnut scale insect (Pulvinaria regalis), which sucks sap from the trunk and branches, but does not cause serious damage to the tree.[45] Sometimes squirrels will strip the bark off branches, girdling the stem; as a result whole branches may die, leaving brown, wilted leaves.[46]

The sycamore gall mite Eriophyes macrorhynchus[47] produces small red galls, similar to those of the nail gall mite Eriophyes tiliae, on leaves of sycamore and field maple, Acer campestris from April onwards.[48]: 179  Another mite, Aceria pseudoplatani causes a 'sycamore felt gall' on the underside of leaves of both sycamore and Norway maple (Acer platanoides).[49] The sycamore aphid Drepanosiphum platanoidis sucks sap from buds and foliage, producing large quantities of sticky honeydew that contaminate foliage, cars and garden furniture beneath.[48]: 119 

The sycamore is susceptible to sooty bark disease, caused by the fungus Cryptostroma corticale. This causes wilting of the crown and the death of branches. Rectangular patches of bark become detached exposing thick layers of black fungal spores. The fungus may be present in the heartwood without symptoms for many years, working its way towards the bark following long, hot summers.[50] The spores are hyper-allergenic and cause a condition called maple bark stripper's disease, a hypersensitivity pneumonitis.[51][52] Less serious is the fungus Rhytisma acerinum which often forms the disease known as tar spot, in which black spots with yellow margins form on the foliage. The leaves may fall prematurely but the vigour of the tree is little affected.[53] Sycamore leaf spot, caused by the fungus Cristulariella depraedans, results in pale blotches on leaves which later dry up and fall. This disease can cause moderate leaf loss but trees are little affected in the long run.[46]

Toxicity

Horses eating seeds or emergent seedlings of A. pseudoplatanus can suffer from an often fatal condition of atypical myopathy.[54][55]

Cultivation

Bark on a mature tree

Sycamore self-seeds very vigorously,[30]: 388  the seeds germinating en masse in the spring so that there is little, or no, seed bank in the soil.[24] It is readily propagated from seed in cultivation, but varieties cannot be relied on to breed true.[56] Special cultivars such as A. pseudoplatanus 'Brilliantissimum' may be propagated by grafting.[56][57]: 92  This variety is notable for the bright salmon-pink colour of the young foliage and is the only sycamore cultivar to have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[56]: 92  A rare weeping form with dangling branches, A. pseudoplatanus var. pendulum, was first sold by Knight & Perry's exotic nursery in Chelsea, England, before 1850 when the name was published by W.H. Baxter in the Supplement to Loudon's Hortus Brittanicus, but no specimens of this cultivar are known to survive.[58]

The sycamore is noted for its tolerance of wind, urban pollution, salt spray, and low summer temperatures, which makes it a popular tree for planting in cities, along roads treated with salt in winter, and in coastal localities. It is cultivated and widely naturalised north of its native range in Northern Europe, notably in the British Isles and Scandinavia north to Tromsø, Norway (seeds can ripen as far north as Vesterålen); Reykjavík, Iceland; and Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands. It now occurs throughout the British Isles, having been introduced in the 16th century.[59]: 439 

Sycamores make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down and can therefore be coppiced to produce poles and other types of small timber. Its coppice stools grow comparatively rapidly, reaching as much as 1.3 metres (4 ft 3 in) in length in the first year after initial harvesting.[60]

It is grown as a species for medium-to-large bonsai in many areas of Europe, where some fine specimens can be found.[61]

Uses

Sycamore is planted in parks for ornamental purposes, and sometimes as a street tree, for its tolerance of air pollution makes it suitable for use in urban plantings. Owing to its tolerance to wind, it has often been planted in coastal and exposed areas as a windbreak.[62]

It produces a hard-wearing, white or cream close-grained timber that turns golden with age. The wood can be worked and sawn in any direction and is used for making musical instruments, furniture, joinery, wood flooring and parquetry. Because it is non-staining, is used for kitchen utensils, wooden spoons, bowls, rolling pins and chopping boards. In Scotland it has traditionally been used for making fine boxes, sometimes in association with contrasting, dark-coloured laburnum wood.[63]

Occasionally, trees produce wood with a wavy grain, greatly increasing the value for decorative veneers.[64] The wood is a medium weight for a hardwood, weighing 630 kg per cubic metre.[65] It is a traditional wood for use in making the backs, necks and scrolls of violins. The wood is often marketed as rippled sycamore.[66] Whistles can be made from straight twigs when the rising sap allows the bark to be separated,[67] and these, and sycamore branches, are used in customs associated with early May in Cornwall.[40] The wood is used for fuel, being easy to saw and to split with an axe, producing a hot flame and good embers when burnt.[68]

In Scotland, sycamores were once a favoured tree for hangings, because their lower branches rarely broke under the strain.[68] Both male and female flowers produce abundant nectar, which makes a fragrant, delicately flavoured and pale-coloured honey. The nectar and copious dull yellow ochre pollen are collected by honeybees as food sources.[69]: 4, 46 [70] The sap rises vigorously in the spring and like that of sugar maple can be tapped to provide a refreshing drink, as a source of sugar and to make syrup or beer.[23]: 57 [71]

Notable specimens

The Martyrs' Tree, a sycamore at Tolpuddle in Dorset, England, is regarded by some as the birthplace of the British trades union movement.

Tolpuddle Martyrs' Tree

Under this sycamore tree at Tolpuddle in Dorset, England, six agricultural labourers, known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs, formed an early trades union in 1834. They were found to have breached the Unlawful Oaths Act 1797 and were transported to Australia. The subsequent public outcry led to their release and return.[72] The tree now has a girth of 5.9 metres (19 feet, 4 inches)[73] and a 2005 study dated the tree to 1680.[74] The tree is cared for by the National Trust, which has pollarded the tree in 2002 and 2014.[75]

Corstorphine Sycamore Tree

An ancient sycamore (sometimes described as a "plane") with distinctive yellow foliage formerly stood in the village of Corstorphine, now a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. The tree was reputedly planted in the 15th century and is named as the form Acer pseudoplatanus f. corstorphinense Schwer. Not only was it claimed to be the "largest sycamore in Scotland" but also the scene of James Lord Forrester's murder in 1679.[76] The tree was blown down in a storm on Boxing Day 1998, but a replacement, grown from a cutting, now stands in the churchyard of Corstorphine Kirk.[77] The tree is commemorated in the badge of the Corstorphine Bowling Club of Edinburgh, designed in 1950 to feature the Corstorphine sycamore tree and a single horn, and redesigned in 1991 for the club's centenary.[78]

Newbattle Abbey sycamore

The Newbattle Abbey sycamore near Dalkeith, planted in 1550, was the specimen with the earliest known planting date in Scotland. It had achieved a girth of 5 m (16 ft) and a height of 26 m (85 ft)[79]: 6  by the time it was toppled by a gale in May 2006 at the age of 456 years.[80]

Clonenagh Money Tree

Saint Fintan founded a monastery at Clonenagh in County Laois, Ireland, in the sixth century and it had a spring beside it. This was considered holy and was visited by pilgrims. In the nineteenth century, a Protestant land owner, annoyed at people visiting the site, filled the well in, whereupon the water started to flow into the hollow interior of a sycamore tree on the other side of the road. Filled with amazement, people hung rags on the tree and pressed coins into its trunk as votive offerings and it became known as the "Money Tree". Some years later, it fell down, but new shoots appeared from its base, and the water still welled up. It remains a place of veneration on St Fintan's day, February 17.[81]: 84–85 

Sycamore Gap Tree

The Sycamore Gap Tree or Robin Hood Tree is a sycamore tree standing next to Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough in Northumberland, England. It is located in a dramatic dip in the landscape and is a popular photographic subject, described as one of the most photographed trees in the country. It derives its alternative name from featuring in a prominent scene in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The tree is a few hundred years old and once stood with others, but they have been removed over time, possibly to improve sightlines or for gamekeeping purposes.[82]

References

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Acer pseudoplatanus: Brief Summary

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Acer pseudoplatanus, known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, tolerant of wind and coastal exposure. It is native to Central Europe and Western Asia, from France eastward to Ukraine, northern Turkey and the Caucasus and southward in the mountains of Italy and northern Iberia.

The sycamore establishes itself easily from seed and was introduced to the British Isles by 1500. It is now naturalised there and in other parts of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, where it may become an invasive species.

The sycamore can grow to a height of about 35 m (115 ft) and the branches form a broad, rounded crown. The bark is grey, smooth when young and later flaking in irregular patches. The leaves grow on long leafstalks and are large and palmate, with five large radiating lobes. The flowers are greenish-yellow and hang in dangling flowerheads called panicles. They produce copious amounts of pollen and nectar that are attractive to insects. The winged seeds or samaras are borne in pairs and twirl to the ground when ripe. They germinate freely in the following spring.

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. It produces a hard-wearing, creamy-white close-grained timber that is used for making musical instruments, furniture, joinery, wood flooring and kitchen utensils. It also makes good firewood. The rising sap in spring has been used to extract sugar and make alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Bees collecting the nectar make honey.

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