ROBINIA— AMORPHA 177 



tree and becoming more or less naturalized. Often spreading by means 

 of underground stems and forming thickets of small trees. Perfectly- 

 hardy in Minnesota, but suffering greatly from the attacks of borers, and 

 as a result short-lived. 



The wood is brown or light green in color, close grained, very hard and 

 heavy and is very durable in contact with the soil, and used to some extent 

 as fence posts, weight about 45 lbs. Flowers in late May or June. 



Robinia hispida L i n n e 1767 Rose Acacia Bristly Locust 



A much-branched shrub, 1-3 meters (3-9 ft.) high; branches, twigs 

 and petioles bristly; leaves 10-20 cm. long, leaflets 9-15, ovate or orbicular, 

 2-5 cm. long, 2-3.5 cm. wide, rounded at the base, blunt at the apex and 

 mucronate-tipped, glabrous above, pubescent on the veins beneath; 

 racemes drooping, 6-10 cm. long, flowers large, deep rose color or 

 purple, not fragrant, 2-3 cm. long; pod linear, bristly hispid, constricted 

 between the seeds, 4-6 cm. long brown : hispida, prickly. 



Native of the mountains of Va. to Ga. Cultivated to some extent 

 as an ornamental shrub in parks. Flowers in June, fruit ripe in Sept. 



Amorpha Linne 1753 

 (Gr. a, without, morphe, form, referring to the four lost petals) 



Branching shrubs with odd-pinnate, compound leaves, leaflets marked 

 with minute dots or glands; flowers violet or purple, in dense terminal 

 spikes; calyx-teeth 5, nearly equal, only one petal, the standard present, 

 wrapped around the stamens and style; stamens 10, united at the base, 

 pistil 2-celled ; fruit an oblong pod, exceeding the calyx, 1-2-seeded, 

 tardily splitting. 



A genus of about 10 species, natives of North America and Mexico. 



Key to the Species 



1. Tall shrub, 1-3 meters, leaflets 2-5 cm. long A. fruticosa 



2. Low shrubs, 3-14 dm. high, leaflets 6-12 mm. 



long 



a. Densely silky-hairy all over, 3-14 dm. high A. canescens 



b. Smooth or nearly so throughout, 3 dm. or less A. nana 



