LEGUMINOSAE 



Mescalbean. Frijolito 



Sop flora secundiflora (Ortega) Lag. {Broussonetia 

 secundiflora Ortega) 



HABIT. A shrub or rarely a small tree 20-35 feet high and 

 6-8 inches in diameter; crown narrow with numerous upright 

 branches; commonly thicket-forming. 



LEAVES. Alternate; unequally pinnate with 7-9 oblong- 

 elliptic, coriaceous, glabrous, entire, thick-margined leaflets 

 \-2y2 inches long and Vz-^Vz inches wide; rounded at apex; 

 lustrous and yellow-green above, paler below; persistent. 



FLOWERS. Irregular (papilionaceous); perfect; fragrant; 

 appearing with leaves; in conspicuous 1 -sided, canescent, ter- 

 minal racemes; on stout pedicels; calyx campanulate, 2 upper 

 teeth larger; corolla 1 inch long, of 5, clawed, violet-blue or 

 rarely white, petals, the standard broad, erect; stamens 10, 

 mostly free or slightly diadelphous at base; ovary coated with 

 long, silky, white hairs; ovules numerous. 



FRUIT. Oblong, terete, indehiscent legume 1-7 inches long 

 and Vz inch broad; thick, woody valves; much contracted be- 

 tween seeds; covered with dense, hoary tomentum; tipped with 

 remnant of style. Seed: short-oblong, rounded, Vi inch long, 

 bright scarlet, contain sophorin and are very poisonous. 



TWIGS. Slender; round; unarmed; tomentose at first, be- 

 coming glabrous and pale orange-brown. Winter buds: terminal 

 absent; lateral minute, scaly. 



BARK. Thin, red-brown. 



WOOD. Very heavy; hard; close-grained; ring-porous; heart- 

 wood orange; sapwood thick, yellow; unimportant. 



SILVICAL CHARACTERS. Lower Sonoran zone; intoler- 

 ant; fibrous roots; moist sites; borders of streams, and seacoasts. 



GENERAL. The Texas sophora, S. affinis Torr. & Gray, of 

 Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, diff"ers in having 

 thin deciduous leaves, a fleshy legume, and white flowers in 

 axillary racemes. 



* * * 



Siberian Pea Tree 



Caragana arborescens Lam. 



This introduced form has been extensively planted for shelter- 

 belts and as an ornamental. It is characterized by even pinnate 

 leaves with 8-12 leaflets; and papilionaceous, yellow flowers, 

 V^-% inch long, in fascicles of 1-4. 



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