Nothing edible or that would be confused with figs. The fruit is round with a beaded surface. I think people dry them for handcrafts, but otherwise, I do not know if they are used for anything.
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Ancient Civilizations
- Thread starter sooda
- Start date
I am trying to remember if a commonly planted tree in urban landscapes is a variety of sycamore. It could be a gum tree that I am thinking of, but this particular tree has round fruit with short, weak spikes over the surface. My children used to love to pick these up when we went on walks. They called them 'porcupine balls' because they were round and spiky.
The sycamore trees I grew up with have a dry seed ball that breaks apart and the seeds are dispersed by the wind.
I had to look it up, but the tree with the fruit I was describing in my second response above is from the American sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua. A different tree.
That is the one. You grew up in an area of the eastern forest as I have then. That used to be a very large forest.The sycamore trees I grew up with have a dry seed ball that breaks apart and the seeds are dispersed by the wind.
I grew up in central Kansas. We had one of these trees in my front yard. I liked to crush the seed balls and watch the seeds fly away. Almost similar to dandelion seeds in that regard, although heavier.
sooda
Veteran Member
Thank you.. I think it takes more than 10,000 years for a tree to become petrified.
I do not know if this is of any interest to you, but it seems in keeping with the periphery of the discussion. I live now, not too far from Cahokia Mounds. I have been there once, some time ago, but the mounds of this pre-Columbian society appear to have been built for many of the same reasons that Egyptian and South American pyramids were constructed.
Then you were outside of the eastern forest. But not so far, that some of the species would not grow there.
I recall doing that too.
Some trees seem to do well in places where you would not expect them to. I have seen bald cypress growing 100's of miles from the southern, lowland swamps that is their natural habitat.
Central Kansas is probably not so out of the way of the eastern forests that trees like sycamore could still do well there. I do not know if they exist naturally along streams there or not, but I would not be surprised.
Wikipedia has several different sycamore trees: Sycamore - Wikipedia. it appears the one in the Bible is Ficus sycamorus, which is a type of fig.
I would say 'much more' than 10,000 years along with other conditions that are not found on the surface.
I did not look that far, but that fits the description of the tree in the link about trees in ancient Egypt.
There was a program of active planting during the dust bowl of the 1930's that produced tree lines all over Kansas (and, I would guess Nebraska).
sooda
Veteran Member
The sycamore trees I grew up with have a dry seed ball that breaks apart and the seeds are dispersed by the wind.
These are gum tree pods.. I can't stand them
Yep. Monk mound. Fascinating place. I didn't know about it until a colleague from Norway suggested I visit it while at a conference nearby.
sooda
Veteran Member
It is an interesting place. There are so many interesting places, ideas, and things in this world to explore. That is one of the few reasons I would like to live for a very long time. That seems the only way to find the time to learn and explore all that fascinates me. Alas, reality, I am sure, has different plans for me and nothing that is exceptional in comparison to others.
If I am not mistaken in my recollection, I believe I made a trip to the top of Monks mound.
My children loved these. We would kick them to see how far we could send them. They would gather them up. Throw them--not something I completely encouraged.These are gum tree pods.. I can't stand them
They do make a mess on sidewalks and yards.
Cool. I need to get out more.
I have eaten these.
As a child, we ate figs available at the post commissary, but outside of the Newton form, I have not eaten any in some time.
I love the connections that exist in our world today. A person originating from central Kansas is given suggestion to visit a place in southern Illinois by a person from Norway.