Plane, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

Plane trees are native to the Northern Hemisphere, and typically grow to heights up to fifty metres.

A well known example of is London Plane, which is a hybrid of American Sycamore and Oriental Plan. It is London's most common tree and can be found lining roadsides and avenues and in parks across the city. It is resistant to pollution, provides shade, and is beneficial to air quality.

Plane trees were once considered sacred in Greece, because they always marked sources of water (the source of all life). Hippocrates of Kos, who is considered to be the father of medicine, is said to have taught his pupils the art of medicine, beneath a plane tree in the town centre.

Transcription

Translation

Platanus a latitudine soliorum dicitur. vel quia
arbor sit patula et ampla. Nam platos dicitur grece;
latum. Expressit scriptura huius arboris et nomen et formam;
dicens. Quasi platanus dilatata sum in plateis. Est atem;

The plane tree is called from the width of the beds, or because the tree is broad and broad. For in Greek it is called platos; wide The writing expressed both the name and the form of this tree; saying I spread out like a plane tree in the streets. It is, then;

116v

tenerrimis foliis ac mollibus et urticum similibus;
Iuniperus grece dicta. sive quod ab amplo in angustum
finit; ut ignis; sive quod conceptum diu teneat
ignem. adeo ut si prune ex eius cinere fuerint coo-
perte; ad annum perveniant. Pir enim grece dicitur ignis
iuniperus alia est parva alia magna.

with very tender and soft leaves and like nettles.

Juniper, called in Greek, or that which ends from broad to narrow; as fire; or that the conception should hold the fire for a long time, so much so that if the prunes were covered with its ashes; to reach a year. For in Greek, pir is called juniper fire, one thing is small, the other is great.

Acknowledgements

With thanks for the researches of library volunteers Alan and Jean Minnerthey.