Platanus occidentalis

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens from wild populations. Cultivated occurrences are not mapped. View county names by placing the cursor over the map.

Browse Photos

Consortia links

Image searches

Family:	PLATANACEAE
Species:	Platanus occidentalis L.
Common Name:	AMERICAN SYCAMORE; AMERICAN PLANETREE
Plant Notes:	This is presumably recently introduced in south-central Florida.
Status:	Native, FACW (DEP), FACW (NWPL)
Specimen:	View details of USF Herbarium specimens

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Division
Class
Sub Class
Order	PROTEALES
Family	PLATANACEAE
Genus	Platanus
Species	Platanus occidentalis L. - AMERICAN SYCAMORE; AMERICAN PLANETREE

Citation

Citation	PLATANUS OCCIDENTALIS Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 999. 1753.
Basionym:	**
Type:	"Platanus 2 occidentalis" LINN 388.17 (lectotype). Lectotypified by Ferrer-Gallego, Novon 25: 151. 2017.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Source

County	Herbaria	Literature Citation (If Applicable)
Bay	FSU
Calhoun	USF
Citrus	USF
Duval	USF
Escambia	USF
Flagler	PIHG
Franklin	FSU
Gadsden	FLAS
Gilchrist	USF
Gulf	FSU
Hamilton	FLAS
Highlands	USF
Holmes	USF
Jackson	USF
Jefferson	FSU
Lafayette	FSU
Lee	USF
Leon	FSU
Liberty	FSU
Madison	FSU
Nassau	PIHG
Okaloosa	FLAS
Polk	USF
Santa Rosa	FSU
Suwannee	PIHG
Taylor	FSU
Volusia	PIHG
Wakulla	FSU
Walton	USF
Washington	USF

Synonyms

– Denotes synonyms that are applicable to the state. Show these synonyms only

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Platanus excelsa	Platanus excelsa Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton 393. 1796, nom. illegit.	BASIONYM: Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus 1753.
Platanus lobata	Platanus lobata Moench, Methodus 358. 1794, nom. illegit.	BASIONYM: Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus 1753.
Platanus occidentalis var. angulosa	Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus, var. angulosa (Spach) Bommer, Platanes 17. 1869, nom. inadmiss.	BASIONYM: Platanus vulgaris Spach, var. angulosa Spach 1841; Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus 1753.
Platanus orientalis var. occidentalis	Platanus orientalis Linnaeus, var. occidentalis (Linnaeus) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 636. 1891, nom. illegit.	BASIONYM: Platanus vulgaris Spach, var. angulosa Spach 1841; Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus 1753.
Platanus vulgaris var. angulosa	Platanus vulgaris Spach, var. angulosa Spach, Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., ser. 2. 15: 293. 1841.	BASIONYM: Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus 1753.
Platanus glabrata	Platanus glabrata Fernald, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 36: 493. 1901.		TYPE: MEXICO:
Platanus occidentalis var. attenuata	Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus, var. attenuata Sargent, Man. Trees N. Amer., ed. 2. 372. 1922.
Platanus occidentalis var. glabrata	Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus, var. glabrata (Fernald) Sargent, Bot. Gaz. 67: 230. 1919.	BASIONYM: Platanus glabrata Fernald 1901.
Platanus occidentalis var. lobata	Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus, var. lobata Bommer, Platanes 17. 1869.
Platanus occidentalis var. palmata	Platanus occidentalis Linnaeus, var. palmata Bommer, Platanes 17. 1869.

Specimens

Country	State	County	Date	Specimen	Notes
USA	Florida	Washington Co.	18 May 1958	R. K. Godfrey 56760
USA	Florida	Lee Co.	09 Sep 1995	G. Gann 78
USA	Florida	Duval Co.	05 Jul 1988	D. M. Krofta 1
USA	Florida	Walton Co.	25 Nov 1980	G. Wilhelm 8160
USA	Florida	Escambia Co.	25 Nov 1981	G. Wilhelm 9790
USA	Florida	Jackson Co.	01 Sep 1987	B. F. Hansen 11475
USA	Florida	Gilchrist Co.	25 Oct 1985	B. F. Hansen 10932
USA	Florida	Calhoun Co.	30 Apr 2009	T. MacClendon 904
USA	Florida	Highlands Co.	26 Jun 1998	C. vanHoek 1119
USA	Florida	Duval Co.	18 Apr 2012	W. D. Longbottom 17029
USA	Florida	Holmes Co.	04 May 2015	S. Myers 1709
usa	Florida	Hernando Co.	12 May 2015	C. vanHoek 2893	CULTIVATED. Native but possibly planted.
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	28 Mar 1991	D. M. Hart s.n.	CULTIVATED.
USA	California	San Francisco Co.	18 Jul 1969	S. Kawahara 1506	CULTIVATED.
USA	Florida	Miami-Dade Co.	29 Apr 1978	G. N. Avery 1879	CULTIVATED.
USA	Arkansas	Sebastian Co.	09 Aug 1959	J. Behrens s.n.
USA	Tennessee	Cocke Co.	18 May 1977	P. Genelle 2770
USA	Alabama	Baldwin Co.	25 Nov 1981	G. Wilhelm 9809
USA	North Carolina	Chatham Co.	26 Jul 1955	L. S. Beard 1052
USA	Louisiana	Ouachita Par.	01 May 1967	B. Gerson 55
USA	Missouri	Taney Co.	28 Apr 1973	J. Dean 360	"Sycamore."
USA	South Carolina	Laurens Co.	24 Apr 1992	S. R. Hill 22961
USA	Louisiana	Vernon Par.	26 Apr 1955	G. R. Cooley 3787
USA	Louisiana	East Baton Rouge Par.	24 Apr 1976	K. Jolissaint s.n.
USA	Alabama	Bibb Co.	25 Sep 1982	R. D. Whetstone 12590
USA	Florida	Polk Co.	13 May 1961	B. A. Cameron 1150
USA	Massachusetts	Berkshire Co.	15 May 1915	C. H. Knowlton s.n.
USA	Oklahoma	Payne Co.	12 May 1967	G. Parker 398
USA	Kentucky	Hopkins Co.	28 Jul 1986	B. F. Hansen 11072
USA	Kentucky	Pulaski Co.	01 Jun 1991	J. R. Abbott 415
USA	Virginia	Louisa Co.	18 Jun 1983	T. Bradley 19426
USA	West Virginia	Barbour Co.	23 Oct 1955	K. Nestor s.n.
USA	Kentucky	Pendleton Co.	25 Jun 1961	E. M. Browne 4282
USA	Virginia	Rockbridge Co.	21 May 1980	E. W. Wood 4637
USA	Pennsylvania	Washington Co.	25 Jul 1985	S. A. Thompson 2539	"Voucher for Transect(s): 2".
USA	Massachusetts	Worcester Co.	22 Sep 1955	B. N. Gates s.n.
USA	Massachusetts	Worcester Co.	22 Sep 1955	B. N. Gates s.n.
USA	Florida	Citrus Co.	04 Aug 2022	T. Berry TAB5

Listed Status: Florida

Listed Status:	(Florida):Source - Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Chapter 5B-40, Florida Administrative Code. 1998, amended.
Endangered:	A species of plants native to the state that are in imminent danger of extinction within the state, the survival of which is unlikely if the causes of a decline in the number of plants continue, and includes all species determined to be endangered or threatened pursuant to the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Threatened:	Listed as Threatened Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Defined as species of plants native to the state that are in rapid decline in the number of plants within the state, but which have not so decreased in such number as to cause them to be endangered.

Listed Status: US

Listed Status: US	(U.S.) Source - List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Endangered:	Any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
Threatened:	Any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

WAP: Wetland AssessmentProcedure

Wetland Assessment Procedure (WAP): Source - Southwest Florida Water Management District, Wetland Assessment Procedure Instruction Manual for Isolated Wetlands (March 2005).

AD:	Adaptive Species. Plant species designated as FAC or Upland by DEP, but commonly seen in the transition zone in limited numbers.
D:	Deep Species. Plant species commonly found in the deep zone, and designated either FAC or OBL by DEP.
OD:	Outer Deep Species. Plant species commonly found in the outer deep zone, and designated either FACW or OBL by DEP.
T:	Transition Species. Plant species commonly found in the transition zone, and designated either FACW or OBL by DEP.
U:	Upland Species. Plant species that are not expected to be seen in wetlands.

ANY - WAP critieria is not taken into consideration
Yes - Show results with WAP designations
No - Show results without WAP designations

FISC: Florida Invasive Species Council

FISC:

Source - Florida Invasive Species Council's 2017 List of Florida's Most Invasive Species

Category I - Species that are invading and disrupting native plant communities in Florida. This definition does not rely on the economic severity or geographic range of the problem, but on the documented ecological damage caused.

Category II - Species that have shown a potential to disrupt native plant communities. These species may become ranked as Category I, but have not yet demonstrated disruption of natural Florida communities.

DEP: Department of Environmental Protection

Wetland Status, Department of Environmental Regulation (DEP): Source - Delineation of the Landward Extent of Wetlands and Surface Waters, Chapter 62-340, Florida Administrative Code. 1994.

OBL:	Obligate wetland. Occurs almost always under natural conditions in wetlands.
FACW:	Facultative Wetland. Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally found in non-wetlands
FAC:	Facultative. equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

NWPL: National Wetland Plant List

National Wetland Plant List (NWPL): Source - Lichvar, R.W., M. Butterwick, N.C. Melvin, and W.N. Kirchner. 2014. The National Wetland Plant List: 2014 Update of Wetland Ratings. Phytoneuron 2014-41: 1-42.

OBL:	Obligate Wetland. Occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in wetlands.
FACW:	Facultative Wetland. Usually occurs in wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in non-wetlands.
FAC:	Facultative. Equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands (estimated probability 34%-66%).
FACU:	Facultative Upland. Usually occurs in non-wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in wetlands (estimated probability 1%-33%).
UPL:	Obligate Upland. Occurs in wetlands in another region, but occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in non-wetlands in the regions specified.

Persisting

Identifying species that appear as waifs or only periodically appear in the flora for a few seasons.

Any - Persisting critieria is not taken into consideration
Yes - Show results with a Persisting value of Y
No - Show results without Persisting value of N

Duration

Annual:	Plants that perform their entire lifecycle within a single growing season. All roots, stems, and leaves die at the end of the growing season. Over wintering seeds allow the next generation to appear.
Biennial:	A plant that is typically vegetative its first year and blooms the following season. Once it has bloomed and set seed, the plant dies. Garlic mustard is an example of a biennial.
Perennial:	These plants live for three or more seasons. Many perennials may not be mature enough to bloom during its first year. Perennial wildflowers re-grow each season from overwinter root material.

Category

Vascular:	Any of various plants that have the vascular tissues xylem and phloem. The vascular plants include all seed-bearing plants (the gymnosperms and angiosperms) and the pteridophytes (including the ferns, lycophytes, and horsetails). Also called tracheophyte.
Bryophyte:	A large group of seedless green plants including the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Bryophytes lack the specialized tissues xylem and phloem that circulate water and dissolved nutrients in the vascular plants. Bryophytes generally live on land but are mostly found in moist environments, for they have free-swimming sperm that require water for transport. In contrast to the vascular plants, the gametophyte (haploid) generation of bryophytes constitutes the larger plant form, while the small sporophyte (diploid) generation grows on or within the gametophyte and depends upon it for nutrition.
Lichen:	The mutualistic symbiotic association of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium, or both. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and provides a suitable environment for the alga or cyanobacterium. These live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. Owing to this partnership, lichens can thrive in harsh environments such as mountaintops and polar regions. The more familiar lichens grow slowly as crusty patches, but lichens are found in a variety of forms, such as the tall, plantlike reindeer moss. The association between the different organisms in a lichen is so close that lichens are routinely referred to as a single organism, and scientists classify lichens using the name of the fungal component.

(Definitions from: American Heritage Science Dictionary)

Growth Habit

Intro paragraph to be provided by New York.

Vine:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Shrub:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Tree:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Et cetera:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.

State Rank

This numeric rank provides the relative rarity for each species based on a scale from 1 (very rare) to 5 (common). These ranks carry no legal status.

S1 - Typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state.
S2 - Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state.
S3 - Typically 21 to 100 occurrences, limited acreage, or miles of stream in the state.
S4 - Apparently secure in the state.
S5 - Demonstrably secure in the state.
SE - State exotic or non-native.
SH - Historically known from the state, but not seen in the past 15 years.
SNA - Species for which a rank is not applicable. This is mainly those species which are now excluded from flora for various reasons.
SNR - Not yet ranked.
SX - Apparently extirpated from the state.

Global Rank

Each species' global rank is determined by NatureServe. These ranks carry no legal weight. The global rank reflects the species worldwide rarity.

G1 - Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences), or very few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or especially vulnerable to extinction because of some factor of its biology.
G2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G3 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G4 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
GH - Historically known, with the expectation that it might be rediscovered.
GNA - Species for which a rank is not applicable. NatureServe does not typically rank hybrid species.
GNR - Not yet ranked.
GX - Species believed to be extinct.

Filter by County - Counties to Include - ANY versus ALL

Any - An Any search will combine the list of counties to include with a Boolean Or. Plant species returned will be found within at least one of the selected counties.
All - An All search will combine the list of counties to include with a Boolean And. Plant species returned will be found within each of the selected counties.

Filter by County - Counties to Exclude - ANY versus ALL

Any - An Any search will combine the list of counties to exclude with a Boolean Or. Plant species returned will not be found within at least one of the selected counties.
All - An All search will combine the list of counties to exclude with a Boolean And. Plant species returned will not be found within any of the selected counties.

Associated Ecological Communities

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Richard Wunderlin or Bruce Hansen, Alan Franck, or Karla Alvarado

Web Development: USF Water Institute

A member of the University of South Florida family of PlantAtlas.org websites

Citation Information:

Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2024. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Search Help

Select the criterion by which you wish to search (Scientific name, Genus, Family, etc.) and enter that information into the provided field.

Hint: Correct spelling is necessary for desired results, but because this function is a string search the full name need not be entered. Any correct part of a taxon name can be entered and a choice of the correct one made from the small list of resulting matches.

For example, matching the full name exactly in a Scientific Name search for Piptochaetium avenacioides may be difficult, but strings of either tium aven or avenaci or m avenac or pipto will all result in very small lists of matches. The intended name can then be chosen from any of those lists. Usually, the last letter (or two) of a given genus, a space, and the first few correct letters of the specific epithet will provide a sufficiently short list containing the desired taxon.

A similar example in a Common Name search is Virginia snakeroot. Searching using "snake root" will yield no results due to the extra space, but searching "snake" will generate a short list of plants with the word "snake" in the common name. Furthermore, a search of "Virginia snake" or even "nia snak" yields one result: Virginia snakeroot.

If, after following the above advice, then difficulties are still encountered please use the "browse" feature.

Definition: Vouchered Specimen

A voucher specimen is a pressed and thoroughly dried plant sample deposited in a herbarium, and is intended to be a permanent record supporting research purposes. A voucher may be a record of a plant's occurrence in a particular area, or a specific example of a plant used in a scientific investigation.

Proper vouchers display all the necessary attributes for complete identification of the plant, and are to be accompanied by accurate locality, habitat, collection time, and collector data.

Only plant populations vouchered by specimens deposited in Index Herbariorum http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ recognized herbaria are represented on this map.