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'California Sycamore', also called 'Western Sycamore' or 'Aliso', is a Plane tree, with the botanic name of ''Platanus racemosa''. It has palmately lobed leaves and ball-like, hairy fruit clusters, and bark that flakes off in large patches. It is informally also called "buttonball" or "buttonwood".
In keeping with its size, the California sycamore has quite large leaves. The trunk of a Sycamore is usually divided into several large, secondary trunks. Its bark is speckled white and brown, with darker bark of older trees peeling away from the lighter-colored and younger bark. Typically, the Sycamore grows on bottomlands, floodplains, and on the banks of streams. Its tough and course-grained wood is difficult to split and work. It has various uses, including acting as meat preparation block for butchers. A few birds feed on its fruit, and several mammals eat its twigs and bark.

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★ H. Mifflin, ''The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language'', Dell Publishing, 1994 ISBN 0-440-21861-6.