Platanus dissecta
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (August 2025) |
| Platanus dissecta Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Platanaceae |
| Genus: | Platanus |
| Species: | †P. dissecta
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Platanus dissecta | |
Platanus dissecta is an extinct species of plane tree in the family Platanaceae.[1] It is known from fossil leaves dating to the Miocene of western North America.[1] The species was first described by Leo Lesquereux and was reexamined in 2019 to clarify its morphology and systematic affinities.[1]
Background
[edit]Platanus dissecta lived during the Miocene epoch, approximately 23 to 5 million years ago.[1] It belongs to the plane tree genus Platanus, which today includes the American sycamore and the Oriental plane.[1]
Morphology
[edit]The fossil leaves of P. dissecta are deeply dissected into lobes, with venation patterns that distinguish the species from other fossil and living Platanus taxa.[1] These features suggest adaptation to the temperate environments of the Miocene.[1]
Systematic affinities
[edit]Platanus dissecta is placed in the family Platanaceae and shows close affinities with North American species of Platanus.[1] The 2019 reanalysis suggested that it may share ancestry with the lineage leading to modern Platanus occidentalis.[1]