Arizona Sycamore
Platanus wrightii
Every sycamore presents a unique visual history of it's survival battles: Twisted and gnarled branches; dead limbs; hollowed trunks and numerous nest hole cavities. The smooth white bark gives it a very stately look.
The stipules might hinder movement of herbivorous insects that are crawling up and down the stems. Caterpillars for instance would have to climb over the obstruction temporarily disrupting their usual camouflage tactics and thus vulnerable to predation.
TREE: Grand tree reaching
very large proportions.
Arizona champion is 21 m tall
and has a crown spread of 22 m.
LEAVES: Leaves are hand-shaped and can be up to
30 cm across. Young leaves are velvety, esp. beneath. The base
of the petiole is noticeably enlarged at its attachment to the stem and there
is leafy cup encircling the stem formed from the fused stipules (photo at
left).
RANGE: Strictly riparian. Found along permanent creeks mostly above
750 m elevation in Arizona and Sonoran, Mexico. This tree is
probably conspecific (same species) with sycamores in California.
FLOWERS/FRUIT: Petal-less flowers and achenes are small and are borne on
a densely packed spherical structure about
3 cm in diameter. These clusters are arranged into pendant
chains of two, three or more.
TRUNK: Whitish bark peels off in patches giving the trunk a distinctive,
light-colored, mottled appearance. Prone to developing large holes from
injuries and broken-off branches thus providing nest spots for many animals and
birds.
Sycamore Tree Hopper
Tree hoppers focus their feeding activity on fresh, new growth. They draw sap using long, penetrating, needle-like mouthparts. Ants guarding them are almost always present.
Platanaceae -- Sycamore Family
More Information:
- Ecology on Page 2
- Firefly Forest - Tucson
- USDA Plant Profile
- ITIS Taxonomic Report
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search