290 EDWARD W. BERRY 



The leaves are sometimes slender stalks with 9 to 14 pairs of 

 oblong-ovate leaflets which are never over 1^ inches long and ^ 

 inch wide, and which usually have a slightly, but not apparent, 

 crenulate margin. More usually the leafstalk bears from 4 to 7 

 pairs of branches each with 8 to 12 pairs of leaflets, which are 

 generally under an inch in length and ^ inch in width. Such 

 leaves in which there is on odd terminal unpaired leaflet on the 

 main stalk or the branches is tenned even pinnate. Sometimes, 

 however, the honey locust leaves do have such an odd terminal 

 leaflet, and frequently either the basal or the tenninal part of 

 the leaf stalk will lack subordinate leaflet bearing branches and 

 have in their place somewhat larger leaflets on the main stalk 

 with the leaflet bearing branches in the middle part of the leaf 

 stalk. The stipules are small and are soon shed and do not 

 develop into spines as in the black locust. Nevertheless the 

 honey locust is plentifully supplied with thorns. These are 

 large and much branched and are not superficial (epidermal) like 

 the spines of the black locust but are true abortive branches and 

 cannot be readily detached except by cutting. 



The flow^ers appear in the late spring after the leaves. They 

 are not especially conspicuous being greenish-white in color, 

 but are exceedingly fragrant and abundantly nectar-bearing. 

 They are not irregular like a pea blossom as are those of the 

 black locust, but regular and polygamous, i.e. some are pollen- 

 bearing and some seed-bearing. The pods are large and 

 flattened, bright brown or purpHsh in color when mature, and 

 are always more or less curved and twisted as they contract in 

 drying during the autumn. They are from 5 to 18 inches long 

 and about an inch and one half wide. The space between the 

 seeds is filled with a sweet succulent pulp, hence the name honey 

 shucks, and the pods do not split open when the seeds are ripe. 

 The wood is much like that of the black locust and is used for 

 similar purposes. 



The water locust is a much smaller tree, with leaves much like 

 those of the honey locust but with somew^hat larger leaflets, which 

 are thicker and a darker green. The pods, however, are not 

 much longer than wide with only one or two seeds and without 



