﻿374 Tlie New York Stafe College of Forestry 



THE RED-BUDS. Genus CERCIS L. 



A genus of seven species of small trees or shrubs, natives of 

 North America and Eurasia. Three species occur in North Amer- 

 ica, one widely distributed as a small tree in central and eastern 

 United States, a second in southern Texas, and a third shrubby 

 .species in California. 



Baric scaly. Branchlets slender, zigzag, prolonged by an upper axillary 

 Inid. Leaves alternate, deciduous, simple, ovate, orbicular or reniform, with 

 .5-7 prominent veins; petioles slender, elongate, enlarged at the base; stipules 

 small, membranous, caducous. Flowers appearing before or Avith the leaves 

 on thin, jointed pedicels in simple fascicles or racemose clusters, borne on the 

 growth of the preceding season, on the older t\\"igs, or even on the trunk, 

 pink, pseudo-papilionaceous; calyx-tube oblique-campanulate, 5-toothed; petals 

 5, unguiculate, those forming the keel the larger and free; standard smaller 

 than the wings and enclosed by them in the bud; stamens 10, distinct, 

 declined; filaments enlarged and pilose at the base; anthers oblong, pistil 

 consisting of a short-stalked, obliquely-inserted ovary terminated by a filiform 

 r^tyle and stout obtuse stigma; ovules numerous, 2-rauked. Fruit a linear- 

 oblong, compressed legume, acute at both ends and margined along the upper 

 suture, at maturity reddish purple and 2-valved ; seeds oblong, compressed, 

 reddish brown, albuminous. 



THE LOCUSTS. Genus ROBINIA L. 



A genus of seven or eight species of trees and shrubs character- 

 ized by slender zigzag, often armed branchlets ; minute superposed 

 subpetiolar buds, alternate pinnate leaves, and showy papiliona- 

 ceous flowers. The locusts are confined wholly to the temperate 

 parts of North America. Three arborescent and one shrubby 

 species occur within the United States. 



Leaves alternate, deciduous, odd-pinnately compound; leaflets entire, petio- 

 lulate, with minute bristle-like stipules; stipules i)ersist.ent, spinescent at 

 least on vigorous growth. Flowers large, showy, papilionaceous, perfect, 

 borne on long pedicels in short pendulous racemes from the axils of leaves 

 of the year; calyx-tube campanulate, .5-lobed or cut, the upper lobes the longer 

 and cohering for a part of their length; corolla consisting of a large, reflexed, 

 obcordate standard, oblong-falcate free wings and obtuse, incurved keel-petals 

 united below; stamens 10, diadelphous, the nine inferior miited; anthers uni- 

 form or the alternate ones smaller ; pistil superior, consisting of a stipitate 

 elongated ovary terminating in a subulate inflexed hairj' style and terminal 

 stigma; ovules numerous, 2-ranked, attached to the ventral suture. Fruit 

 a many-seeded, linear oblong, compressed, nearly sessile legume, flat-margined 

 along the seed-bearing suture and opening by 2 thin membranous valves; the 

 legumes are generally borne in drooping many-fruited racemes and open tar- 

 dily; seeds oblique, reniform, albuminous with persistent incurved funicle. 



