Acer pseudoplatanus
Specifications
Family
Sapindaceae
Species
Acer pseudoplatanus L.
sycamore maple
Description
Yellowish-white in colour, it is not clearly differentiated and has a silky appearance on radial sections; it has a fine texture, varied grain and a variable volumetric weight from 0.58 to 0.74 (average of 0.66).
Plant morphology
A large, long-lived deciduous tree, it easily reaches 30-35 m in height. When young, it has a pyramidal crown that becomes rounded with age. The trunk is cylindrical and, when young, has a grayish bark with reddish hues. As it ages, the bark peels off in thin, rounded or elongated plates, revealing the underlying structure.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
European-Caucasian species; Central Europe, Spain, southern Poland, the Pontic zone, the Caucasus, and northern Anatolia; southward it reaches Greece and Italy. Absent from Sardinia.
Habitat and ecology
Common in the mountainous zone between 500 and 1,500 m above sea level; it can also live exceptionally in the plains and above 1,900 m. It loves cool, deep soils and, in addition to beech, it associates with Norway spruce in mountain forests and with European ash in watershed and ravine forests (maple and ash groves).
Uses
Use class
CU1
CU2
CU3
CU4
CU5
Application areas
It is used in fine carpentry, furniture, interior design, billiard cues and handicrafts.
Use in musical instruments
Widely used in violin making for the backs, ribs, and sides of both bowed and plucked instruments. In particular, in its wavy forms (with wavy grain), it becomes a highly sought-after tonewood, used for the sides and backs of violins, violas, cellos, and double basses.
Threats and Conservation
Threats
Species very vulnerable to attacks by the Asian longhorn beetle.
Conservation measures
Monitoring populations is desirable in order to prevent their potential decline as a result of attacks by the Asian longhorn beetle.
IUCN Red List
IUCN
LC - Least Concern - Low Risk
CITES. Year of assessment
CITES
2017
1975
2050
CITES Italia • Ultimo aggiornamento
2017
Not present.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Slightly obvious
Texture
Fine
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
660
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
High, Medium
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
High, Medium
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
118
MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.
M.O.E.
9600
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Not durable
Insect resistance
Not resistant