Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane, or chinar, is a large, deciduous tree in the family Platanaceae, native from the eastern Mediterranean 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.
Etymology
The generic name Platanus comes from Ancient Greek
πλάτανος (plátanos), meaning "plane tree".
The word is recorded as a later form of
πλατάνιστος (platánistos).
The species name orientalis means 'eastern' (in comparison, the 'western' plane, or American sycamore, the only other species known to Linnaeus, is named Platanus occidentalis). It is also well known in Asia from Anatolia to India, where usually called chinar or chenar.
Distribution and Habitat
The native distribution is from Italy east through the Balkans, Turkey, and the Caucasus to Iran. As it has been known in cultivation from early times in much of this region it can be difficult to determine if it is truly indigenous in peripheral areas.
Description
The oriental plane is found naturally in riverine settings, together with such trees as alder, willow and poplar. However, it is quite capable of survival and success in dry soils once it is established. It can grow into a massive tree with many examples hundreds of years old. Around ten trees are known from the past and present with a diameter of 4 m (13 ft) or more, with several specimens around 100 m (3,500 cu ft) in total volume. A specimen in Ghirmizi Bazar, Karabakh, Republic of Azerbaijan is said to have a DBH of 5 m (16.4 ft), with a girth of 15.71 m (51.54 ft).
