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Trees told by their bark or trunk: sycamore, birch, and beech

How to tell them from other trees: The color of the bark or the form of the trunk of each of the trees in this group is distinct from that of any other tree.

How to tell them from each other: In the sycamore, the bark is mottled; in the white birch, it is dull white; in the beech, it is smooth and gray.
The Sycamore


THE SYCAMORE OR PLANETREE (Platanus occidentalis)

Distinguishing characters: The peculiar mottled appearance of the bark in the trunk and large branches is the striking character here. The bark produces this effect by shedding in large, thin, brittle plates. The newly exposed bark is of a yellowish green color which often turns nearly white later on. Round seed balls, about an inch in diameter, may be seen hanging on the tree all winter. In this species, the seed balls are usually solitary, while in the Oriental sycamore, a European tree similar to the native one, they appear in clusters of two, or occasionally of three or four.
Mottled Sycamore Bark
Leaf: The stem of the leaf completely covers the bud. This is a characteristic peculiar to sycamores.
Sycamore Leaves and Seed Balls
Form and size: A large tree with massive trunk and branches and a broad head.
Sycamore in Winter
Range: Eastern and southern United States.
Sycamore Range
Soil and location: Prefers a deep rich soil, but will adapt itself even to the poor soil of the city street.

Enemies: The sycamore is frequently attacked by a fungus (Gloeosporium nervisequum), which curls up the young leaves and kills the tips of the branches. Late frosts also often injure its young twigs. The Oriental sycamore, which is the European species, is more hardy in these respects than the native one and is therefore often chosen as a substitute.
Sycamore Pest - Rhinoceros Beetle
Value for planting: The Occidental sycamore is now planted very little, but the Oriental sycamore is used quite extensively in its place, especially as a shade tree. The Oriental sycamore is superior to the native species in many ways. It is more shapely, faster growing, and hardier than the native one. Both sycamores will bear transplanting and pruning well.
Sycamore Foliage
Commercial value: The wood of the sycamore is coarse-grained and hard to work; used occasionally for inside finishing in buildings.
Sycamore Seed in Ice
Other names: Buttonball, buttonwood.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the lesson.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Recite aloud the vocabulary words and their definitions.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

This lesson addresses the sycamore tree, identifiable by its mottled bark and large branches. The rhinoceros beetle is a pest of the sycamore tree. The sycamore tree is also called planetree. The scientific (Latinized) name of the sycamore is Platanus occidentalis.

Vocabulary

Mottle: To mark with spots of different color.
Rhinoceros: Any of several large herbivorous pachyderms native to Africa and Asia, with thick, gray skin and one or two horns on their snouts.
Rhinoceros Beetle: Any of various beetles, mostly of the genus Dynastes, having horns on the head and thorax.
Larva: The active immature form of an insect, especially one that differs greatly from the adult and forms the stage between egg and pupa.
Pupa: An insect in its inactive immature form between larva and adult.

Concepts

RHINOCEROUS BEETLE

  1. Rhinoceros beetles include a variety of beetles that have horns on their heads and thorax.
  2. The horn can resemble horn of the rhinoceros.
  3. Even though the rhinoceros beetle looks fierce, it cannot bite or sting.
  4. The horn is used for digging and males also use it to fight other males.
  5. The rhinoceros beetle preys on a number of trees, including the sycamore tree.

The image below shows three stages of the rhinoceros beetle:

  1. Larva (tan in the back)
  2. Pupa (reddish-brown in the middle)
  3. Adult (black in the front)

Find the following on the image [2] of the adult rhinoceros beetle below:

  1. Horns
  2. Head
  3. Thorax
  4. Abdomen
  5. Six legs
  6. Wings
  7. Wing Covers

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After reading or listening to the lesson, narrate the lesson aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Study the Lesson Pictures

  • Study the lesson pictures and describe how they relate to the lesson.

Activity 3: Take a Nature Walk

  • Bring a small sketchbook and a specimen collection bag and embark on a nature walk.
  • If they grow in your area, find a sycamore tree. Otherwise, seek out another unstudied tree.
  • Study and sketch the appearance and habitat of the tree, especially its leaves and bark.
  • Collect a leaf specimen from the tree.
  • Use the sketch and leaf specimen to create the field book entry.

Activity 4: Complete a Field Book Entry   

After your nature walk, complete page 50 in 'Science Field Book for Fourth Grade.'

Review

Question 1

Describe the unique bark of the sycamore tree.
1 / 4

Answer 1

The bark of the sycamore tree is mottled.
1 / 4

Question 2

What part of the sycamore is shaped like a ball?
2 / 4

Answer 2

The seed balls of the sycamore are shaped like balls.
2 / 4

Question 3

Name one pest of the sycamore tree.
3 / 4

Answer 3

The rhinoceros beetle is one pest of the sycamore tree.
3 / 4

Question 4

How did the rhinoceros beetle get its name?
4 / 4

Answer 4

The rhinoceros beetle has horns that resemble that of the rhinoceros.
4 / 4

  1. Describe the unique bark of the sycamore tree. The bark of the sycamore tree is mottled.
  2. What part of the sycamore is shaped like a ball? The seed balls of the sycamore are shaped like balls.
  3. Name one pest of the sycamore tree. The rhinoceros beetle is one pest of the sycamore tree.
  4. How did the rhinoceros beetle get its name? The rhinoceros beetle has horns that resemble that of the rhinoceros.

References

  1. 'Studies of Trees' by Jacob Joshua Levison. gutenberg.org/ebooks/16116. n.p.
  2. 'Dynastinae.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.
  3. 'Eupatorus gracilicornis (extended wings) by Didier Descouens (CC BY-SA 4.0).' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eupatorus_gracilicornis_Vol.jpg. n.p.

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