The Plane Tree Flower

Once again we've returned to the Plane tree (I think it's Toto's favourite:) and today we have the male flower. After some research I've realised that there are both male and female flowers on these trees and tomorrow I will go in search of the female! :)

Here's some info I found today...

"Plants are bisexual - both sexes borne on the same tree. Male and female flowers are borne on separate spherical inflorescences, which hang on fibrous stalks. They are wind pollinated. The female flower-heads are larger and more showy, generally greenish flushed red or purple, colour varying with the clone, sometimes entirely green. The male flower-heads are smaller, usually a pale yellow to yellow-brown colour. The flowers form dense spherical heads, sometimes separately stalked, 1 to 12 on a stem."

It's an ancient species....

"The genus Platanus is the only one in the dicotyledon family Platanaceae. It arose early in the evolution of flowering plants, and fossil specimens are known from the earlier Cretaceous period, over 100 million years ago."
http://www.aranya.co.uk/planes/text/botany.html

We warmed up a bit more today to 32c and looks like a bit of a heatwave coming up with Sunday, Monday and Tuesday predicted to be 40c or over aargh!!!