﻿Trees of Xeiv York State 339 



BIGNONIACEAE 



Catalpa speciosa Warder. 



Hardy Catalpa, Cigar Tree 



Habit — In New York State generally a small or medium-sized tree 25-50 feet 

 in height Tiith a trunk 6-15 inches in diameter, farther west in the Ohio 

 basin reaching a height of 100 feet with a trunk diameter of 4 feet. In 

 the open the bole is short and bears a broad, spreading crown. Trees in 

 the forest possess tall, straight trunks and reduced crowns. 



Leaves — Opposite or 3 at a node, broadly ovate, 8-1 -i inches long, 6-8 inches 

 wide, acuminate at the apex, rounded or cordate at the base, entire or 

 with 2-3 lateral teeth, at maturity thick, firm, dark green above, paler 

 and soft pubescent below, borne on stout, terete, pubescent petioles 4-6 

 inches in length. 



Flowers — Appearing in June and early July after the leaves, perfect, showy, 

 borne on slender, purple pedicels in terminal, open, few-flowered panicles 

 5—6 inches long. Calyx purple about % of an inch long, divided to the 

 base into 2 ovate, apiculate divisions. Corolla white, spotted with purple, 

 2-2% inches long, with broad, campanulate, flat tube and spreading, 

 5-lobed limb. Tube marked on the inner surface of the lower side with 2 

 rows of yellow blotches following 2 parallel ridges. Stamens 2, slightly 

 exserted, with flattened, twisted filaments and oblong anthers borne vis- 

 a-vis on either side of the stigma. Pistil consisting of a sessile, ovoid, 

 2-celled ovary abruptly contracted above into a slender glabrous style 

 bearing 2 stigmatic lobes at the apex. 



Fruit — A linear, subterete, dark brown capsule 8-20 inches long, %-% of 

 an inch thick at the center and tapering toward each end. The capsules 

 are borne in thick-stemmed persistent panicles and remain closed and 

 persist on the trees most of the winter, eventually splitting into 2 concave 

 valves before falling to loose the seeds. Seeds numerous, oblong, com- 

 pressed, -R-inged. The wings entirely surround the seed and are produced 

 longitudinally into fringed ends. 



Winter characters — Twigs stout, smooth or somewhat do-\vny, often covered 

 A\'ith a slight bloom, reddish or yellowish brown, marked by numerous, 

 conspicuous lenticels and raised, circular leaf-scars, usually winter-killing 

 at the tip in New York State. Terminal bud absent. Lateral buds 

 minute, hemispherical, chestnut-bro^vn, imbedded in the bark. Bud-scales 

 loosely imbricated. Pith large, white, homogeneous or chambered at the 

 nodes. Mature bark, thin, reddish or grayish brown, broken by shallow 

 fissures into longitudinal, flat ridges. 



Habitat — Prefers rich, moist soils along stream courses and on bottom-lands. 

 In New York State it occasionally becomes naturalized about door-yards 

 and abandoned homes. 



Range — Eestricted in its natural range to central and southern Indiana and 

 Illinois, eastern IMissouri, northeastern Arkansas and western Kentucky 

 and Tennessee. Now widely propagated for ornament and timber in the 

 eastern United States. Zones A, B, and C. 



Uses — Wood light, soft, not strong, coarse-grained, very durable in contact 

 with the soil, light bro^\'n \nth tliin, nearly white sapwood. Used for 

 railroad ties, fence posts, poles, etc. A profitable tree to grow in sections 

 where the climate is not too rigorous, but not to be recommended for 

 planting in New York State. Propagated as an ornamental tree both here 

 and abroad. 



