96 SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. LEGUMINOS 4. 
Alleghany Mountains, an abundant undergrowth to the forest. It grows in immense numbers and to 
its largest size in southern Arkansas, the Indian Territory, and eastern Texas, where in early spring, 
when its branches are covered with its brilliant flowers, it makes a beautiful and conspicuous feature 
of the landscape. 
The wood of Cercis Canadensis is heavy, hard, although not very strong, and rather coarse 
grained. It contains numerous thin medullary rays, and bands of from one to three rows of open ducts 
clearly defining the layers of annual growth. It is rich dark brown tinged with red, with thin hghter 
colored sapwood composed of eight or ten layers of annual growth. The specific gravity of the 
absolutely dry wood is 0.6363, a cubic foot weighing 39.65 pounds. 
Cercis Canadensis was cultivated in English gardens as early as 1730,’ and the first description of 
it was published by Plukenet in the Almagestum Botanicum in 1696.’ The Redbud is a desirable 
ornament for the garden. It is very hardy far north of its native home and in regions where none of 
the other species of Cercis can survive; it grows rapidly in good soil, and at the end of a few years, 
if space is given for its free development, makes a broad-branched flat-topped tree of formal outline, 
handsome at all seasons of the year, and in flower a striking and delightful object. 
1 Aiton, Hort. Kew. ii. 47. — Loudon, Arb. Brit. ii. 659. Siliquastrum Canadense, Tournefort, Inst. 647. — Duhamel, Traité 
2 Ceratia agrestis, Virginiana, folio rotundo, minori. Forte Siliqua des Arbres, ii. 264. 
sylvestris, rotundifolia, Canadensis H. R. P. Schol. Botan. 95. — Ray, Cercis foliis cordatis pubescentibus, Linneus, Hort. Cliff. 156 ; 
Hist. Pl. iii. Dendr. 100, Hort. Ups. 99. — Clayton, Fl. Virgin. 47. — Royen, Fil. Leyd. 
Prodr. 463. 
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 
Puate CXXXIII. Crrcis CaNnapeEnsis. 
. A flowering branch, natural size. 
. Diagram of a flower. 
A flower, enlarged. 
. Vertical section of a flower, enlarged. 
. A flower, a portion of the calyx and corolla removed, enlarged. 
. A calyx, enlarged. 
A stamen, enlarged. 
. A pistil, enlarged. 
CONRAD aP wD 
- Vertical section of an ovary, enlarged. 
ray 
r) 
. An ovule, much magnified. 
Pirate CXXXIV. Cercis CANADENSIS. 
. A fruiting branch, natural size. 
A legume, one of the valves removed, natural size. 
A seed, enlarged. 
- Vertical section of a seed, enlarged. 
. Cross section of a seed, enlarged. 
An embryo, much magnified. 
. A winter branchlet, natural size. 
a 
