- Source: Platanus kerrii
Platanus kerrii (Kerr's plane) is a species of Platanus native to Laos and Vietnam in Southeast Asia.
Taxonomy
It is placed in its own subgenus Casteneophyllum, and it has been proposed that this species should be separated out into its own genus. The plant is named after Arthur Kerr, who collected the type specimen in Laos in 1932.
Description
Platanus kerrii is native to Laos and Vietnam, where it is called "ma nang" or "chò nước" in Vietnamese. It differs from other species in the genus in being a tropical plant, evergreen, having unlobed leaves, and in the leaf stem not enclosing the axillary bud at its base. The bark flakes off as with other species, and the trunk of a mature tree appears similar to that of the other species. The leaves are elliptical to lanceolate. The fruits are borne in globose heads, each of which is sessile on a long peduncle. There are up to 12 heads on a peduncle.