Buttonwood

buttonwood
    n 1: very large spreading plane tree of eastern and central
         North America to Mexico [syn: {American sycamore},
         {American plane}, {buttonwood}, {Platanus occidentalis}]
    

Plane \Plane\, n. [F., fr. L. platanus, Gr. ?, fr. ? broad; --
   so called on account of its broad leaves and spreading form.
   See {Place}, and cf. {Platane}, {Plantain} the tree.] (Bot.)
   Any tree of the genus {Platanus}.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: The Oriental plane ({Platanus orientalis}) is a native
         of Asia. It rises with a straight, smooth, branching
         stem to a great height, with palmated leaves, and long
         pendulous peduncles, sustaining several heads of small
         close-sitting flowers. The seeds are downy, and
         collected into round, rough, hard balls. The Occidental
         plane ({Platanus occidentalis}), which grows to a great
         height, is a native of North America, where it is
         popularly called {sycamore}, {buttonwood}, and
         {buttonball}, names also applied to the California
         species ({Platanus racemosa}).
         [1913 Webster]
    

Buttonwood \But"ton*wood`\, n. (Bot.)
   The {Platanus occidentalis}, or American plane tree, a large
   tree, producing rough balls, from which it is named; --
   called also {buttonball tree}, and, in some parts of the
   United States, {sycamore}. The California buttonwood is
   {Platanus racemosa}.
   [1913 Webster]