The Trees of Vermont 159 



LEGUMINOSAE 



(!omiiiou Locust. False Acacia 



Robinia pseudo-acacia L. 



Habit. — A tree 50-75 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-3 

 feet; usually smaller; forming a narrow, oblong crown of irregular, 

 more or less contorted branches. 



Leaves. — Alternate, compound, 8-14 inches long. Leaflets 7-21, 

 short-petiolate, 1-2 inches long, about one-half as broad; ovate to 

 oblong-oval ; entire ; very thin ; dull dark green above, paler beneath, 

 glabrous both sides. Petioles slender, pubescent. 



Flowers. — June, after the leaves ; perfect ; showy and abundant ; 

 very fragrant ; borne on slender pedicels in loose, drooping racemes 

 4-5 inches long; about 1 inch long; calyx short, bell-shaped, 5-lobed, 

 hairy ; corolla papilionaceous, white, 5-petaled ; stamens 10. 



Fruit. — Late autumn, but persistent on the tree through the 

 winter ; a smooth, dark brown, fiat pod 3-4 inches long, containing 4-8 

 small, flatfish, brown seeds. 



Winter-buds. — Terminal bud absent ; lateral buds minute, 3-4 

 superposed, partially sunken within the leaf-scar, rusty-hairy. 



Bark. — Twigs smooth, green, more or less rough-dotted at first, 

 becoming red-brown and armed with prickles ; dark red-brown and 

 thick on old trunk, deeply furrowed into firm, sinuous ridges. Plate 

 VL 



Wood. — Heavy, very strong and hard, close-grained, very durable 

 in contact with the soil, brown, with very thin, pale yellow sapwood. 



Notes. — The common locust is a native of Pennsylvania and the 

 more southern states. It has been widely planted in Vermont and 

 frequently has run wild along fence-rows and about yards. The pro- 

 fusion of the fragrant, white, pea-like blossoms, the delicacy of the 

 foliage and the picturesque form of the tree combine to make it very 

 attractive. This locust is a large, rapidly growing tree, but it is 

 attacked by borers and probably cannot be successfully grown in 

 Vermont. 



