What is this tree?

Hi - I hope someone can help me identify a tree I saw a couple of days ago here in Pretoria, South Africa. I don't have pictures, unfortunately.

The leaves looked like maple leaves, and they had turned colors and were dropping. The seed pods, however, were round little spiky "balls," about 3-4 cm in diameter, hanging in clusters. They have a sort of "knobby" surface. I'm probably not doing a very good job of describing it.

I have looked through books about tree identification, but they only contain indigenous species, and I think that probably this tree is an "import."

Can anyone help?

 

Could it possibly be Platanus? Common name Plane trees. See...

http://images.google.com/images?hl=...q=platanus+fruits&btnG=Search+Images&aq=f&oq=

Please can you split a fruit/seed pod open... what is it like inside?

 

Or sweetgum.

 

Sounds like Platanus acerifolium, which is a pretty common import to the tropics as a Maple-like tree (since maples don't do so well in the heat).

 

Thanks everyone! I looked at the pictures via the link, and I do think it is Platanus. Tomorrow I'll try and split one of the seed pods open and post a picture.

 

As requested by Silver Surfer, here a picture of the seed pods...

 

Thank you Allie, that is definitely the fruit balls/seeds from Platanus. Glad your query was solved.