GLEDITSIA— ROBINIA 175 



A genus of 5 species, natives of eastern North America and Asia ; in 

 addition to the following one other species occurs in the southeastern part 

 of the U. S. 



Gleditsia triacanthos Linne 1753 Honey Locust 



Tree attaining a height of 15-20 meters (45-60 ft.) within our range, 

 and a trunk diameter of 15-40 cm.} bark dark brown, fissured; thorns 

 large and numerous, simple or branched ; branches slender, spreading or 

 somewhat pendulous, with numerous lenticels; buds minute, several to- 

 gether and superposed, upper ones with scurfy scales, the others hidden by 

 the base of the petiole; leaves 1-2-pinnate, 10-20 cm. long, leaflets short- 

 stalked, oblong-lanceolate, somewhat crenulate, 2-3 cm. long, 6-10 mm. 

 wide; inflorescence 5-10 cm. long, the staminate ones more slender than 

 the pistillate; calyx obconic; pods 15-45 cm. long, bent or twisted, pulp 

 sweetish, edible : triacanthos, three-spined. 



On the Mississippi River bottom lands of Houston County. Distrib- 

 uted from the Allegheny mountains of Pa. through southern Ontario to 

 Minn., Neb., Kan., south to Tex., Ala., and Miss. 



The wood is red or light reddish brown in color, it is coarse grained r 

 hard, strong and durable in contact with the soil, weight 42 lbs. It is 

 used for fence posts, rails, for hubs of wheels, etc. Frequently planted 

 as a park tree. 



Robinia Linne 1753 



(Named for John and Vespasian Robin, the latter being the first 

 who cultivated the Locust-tree in Europe.) 



Small to medium sized trees or shrubs, with rough and furrowed bark 

 and spiny stipules or in the shrubby forms bristly; leaves alternate, com- 

 pound, odd-pinnate ; leaflets oblong or ovate, short-stalked ; flowers showy, 

 white or deep rose color, in hanging axillary racemes, calyx 5-toothed, the 

 two upper teeth slightly united, upper petal or standard rounded, reflexed, 

 wings oblong, curved, blunt, stamens diadelphous, pistil stalked, ovules 

 numerous ; fruit a flat, linear pod, several-seeded. 



A genus of 6 species natives of the southern United States and Mexico. 



Key to the Species 



Tree with glabrous twigs, petioles and pods R. pseud-acacia 



Shrub with bristly twigs, petioles and pods R. hispida 



