66 
SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. 
LEGUMINOS£. 
The wood of Sophora affinis is heavy and very hard and strong although coarse-grained, the 
layers of annual growth being marked by several rows of large open ducts. 
It contains thin conspicu- 
ous medullary rays, and is light red in color, the thick sapwood composed of ten or twelve layers of 
annual growth, being bright clear yellow. 
a cubic foot weighing 53.03 pounds. 
The specific gravity of the absolutely dry wood is 0.8509, 
Ink is sometimes made domestically of the resinous exudations from the fruit. 
Sophora affinis was discovered in the valley of the Red River in Arkansas by Dr. M. C. Leaven- 
worth! in 1821; and was introduced into cultivation through the Arnold Arboretum in 1890. 
1 Mellins C. Leavenworth was born in Connecticut early in the 
century. He served in the United States army as acting assistant- 
surgeon in 1831 and 1832, and was appointed assistant-surgeon 
in 1833, continuing his connection with the army until 1840. At 
frontier posts in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida, Dr. Leavenworth 
was able to gratify a taste for botany, for which he did useful ser- 
vice by observing and collecting the plants within his reach. These 
he communicated to Dr. Torrey with copious notes. Dr. Leaven- 
worth was appointed assistant-surgeon of the 12th Regiment of 
Connecticut Volunteers, December, 1861, and died near New Or- 
leans, November 16, 1863, while serving in the Department of the 
Gulf. 
papers printed in the American Journal of Science and Arts. In 
Dr. Leavenworth was the author of a few short botanical 
the earliest of these, published in 1824, four new species of plants 
discovered by the author in northern Alabama are described ; and 
in others are recorded some of the results of his wide and careful 
observations. Leavenworthia, a genus of Cruciferous plants, was 
dedicated to him by Torrey. 
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 
Puate CXXII. Sorpora AFFINIS. 
. A pistil, enlarged. 
WCONAAP Wd 
pay 
o 
. A flowering branch, natural size. 
. The petals of a flower displayed, enlarged. 
A flower, the corolla removed, enlarged. 
. A fruiting branch, natural size. 
. Vertical section of a portion of a fruit, natural size. 
. Vertical section of a seed, enlarged. 
. An embryo, enlarged. 
. Cross section of a seed, enlarged. 
. A winter branchlet, natural size. 
