Buttonwood

American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Description

Wood obtained from plane trees, Platanus orientalis (Europe) and Platanus occidentalis (North America). Buttonwood is a dense, yellow timber with a fine texture that is similar to maple. It is used for furniture, butcher blocks, chairs, musical instruments, interior finishes, and cabinetry.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Platanus orientalis; Platanus occidentalis; pátano de sombra (Esp.); platano (Port.); platano (It.); button-wood; plane tree; buttonball; sycamore

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Density	35 pcf

Additional Information

Schoch, W., Heller, I., Schweingruber, F.H., Kienast, F., 2004:Wood anatomy of central European Species: Oriental Planetree; Planetree, Sycamore, Platanus orientalis L.; P. occidentalis L.

Additional Images

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  Buttonwood

Authority

• R.J. Adrosko, Natural Dyes in the United States, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, 1968

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 673

• External source or communication Comment: Hardwood Manufacturers Institute, Memphis, Tenn.: air-dry weight = 35 pcf

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttonwood (Accessed Oct. 18, 2005)

• R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997