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Platanus occidentalis |
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Family: Platanaceae |
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Sycamore |
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Sycamore (Platanus
sp.)
also known as Buttonwood or Plane is composed of 5 to 9 species which grow in
Eurasia [2] and North America [8]. All species look alike microscopically. The
common name "Sycamore" is used in England to designate a species in
the Hard Maple Group (Acer pseudoplatanus), whereas Plane or Planetree is used to
name the Platanus
which grows there.
Platanus
occidentalis-American
Plane, American Sycamore, Buttonball, Buttonball-tree, Buttonwood, California
Button, California Sycamore, Cotonier, Lacewood, Oriental Planetree, Oriental
Sycamore, Plane, Planetree, Quartered Sycamore, Sycamore, Water Beech
Platanus
racemosa-Aliso,
Buttonball, Buttonball-tree, Buttonwood, California Planetree, California
Sycamore,
Planetree, Sycamore, Western Sycamore
Platanus
wrightii-Alamo,
Arizona Planetree, Arizona Sycamore, Sycamore
Distribution
The eastern US,
from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic coast west
to the Great Plains.
The Tree
Sycamore trees
reach heights of 120 feet, with a diameter of 3 feet.
The Wood
General
The sapwood of
Sycamore is white to light yellow, while the heartwood is light to dark brown.
It is classified as moderate in weight, hardness, stiffness, shock resistance,
strength in bending, endwise compression and nail holding ability. It has a
close texture, glues well and resists splitting due to interlocked grain. It
holds its shape well after steaming and machines well, but requires high speed
cutter heads to prevent chipping. It shrinks moderately in drying and is
inclined to warp when flat sawn. It is odorless, stain free and tasteless.
Mechanical
Properties (2-inch standard)
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Compression |
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Specific gravity |
MOE GPa |
MOR MPa |
Parallel MPa |
Perpendicular MPa |
WMLa kJ/m3 |
Hardness N |
Shear MPa |
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Green |
0.46 |
7.3 |
44.8 |
20.1 |
2.48 |
52 |
2,713 |
6.89 |
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Dry |
0.49 |
9.8 |
68.9 |
37.1 |
4.83 |
59 |
3,425 |
10.13 |
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aWML = Work to maximum load.
bReference (98). cReference (59). |
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Drying and
Shrinkage
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Type of shrinkage |
Percentage of
shrinkage |
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0% MC |
6% MC |
20% MC |
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Tangential |
8.4 |
6.1 |
2.5 |
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Radial |
5.0 |
4.1 |
1.7 |
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Volumetric |
14.1 |
11.4 |
4.7 |
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References: 0% MC (98), |
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Kiln Drying
Schedulesa
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Stock |
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Condition |
4/4, 5/4, 6/4 |
8/4 |
10/4 |
12/4 |
16/4 |
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Standard |
T6-D2 |
T3-D1 |
T3-D1 |
T3-C1 |
T3-B1 |
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aReferences
(6, 86). |
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Working
Properties: It has a close texture, glues well and resists splitting due to
interlocked grain. It holds its shape well after steaming and machines well,
but requires high speed cutter heads to prevent chipping.
Durability:
Classed as nondurable.
Preservation: No
information available at this time.
Uses: Furniture
(esp. drawer sides), containers, millwork, flooring, veneer, pallets, boxes,
plywood, pulp wood, paper, particle board.
Toxicity: No
information available at this time.
Additional
Reading and References Cited (in parentheses)
6. Boone, R.S.,
C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois & E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry kiln schedules for
?commercial woods - temperate and tropical. USDA Forest Service, FPL ?General
Technical Report FPL-GTR-57.
29. Elias, T.S.
1980. The complete trees of North America, field guide and natural history.
?Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 948 pp.
40. Hausen, B.
M. 1981. Wood Injurious to Human Health: A Manual. Walter deGruyter ?& Co.,
Berlin, Germany; New York, NY.
55. Little, Jr.,
E.L. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). USDA
?Forest Service, Ag. Handbook No. 541, USGPO, Washington, DC.
59. Markwardt,
L.J. and T.R.C. Wilson. 1935. Strength and related properties of woods ?grown
in the United States. USDA Forest Service, Tech. Bull. No. 479. USGPO,
?Washington, DC.
61. McAlpine,
R.G. and M. Applefield. 1973. American sycamore, an American wood. ?USDA Forest
Service, FS-267.
64. Mitchell,
J.; Rook, A. 1979. Botanical Dermatology: Plants and Plant Products ?Injurious
to the Skin. Greenglass Ltd., 691 W. 28th Ave., Vancouver, British ?Columbia,
Canada V5H 2H4.
68. Panshin,
A.J. and C. de Zeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Ed., ?McGraw-Hill
Book Co., New York, 722 pp.
74. Record, S.J.
and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the new world. Yale University Press, ?New
Haven, 640 pp.
86. Simpson,
W.T. 1991. Dry kiln operator's manual. USDA Forest Service, FPL Ag. ?Handbook
188.
90. Summitt, R.
and A. Sliker. 1980. CRC handbook of materials science. Volume 4, ?wood. CRC
Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL. 459 pp.
98. USDA Forest
Service, FPL. 1974. Wood handbook: wood as an engineering material. ?Ag.
Handbook 72.
105. Woods, B.;
Calnan, C. D. 1976. Toxic Woods. British Journal of Dermatology; ?95(13):1-97
Published by Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, England OX2 ?OEL.