

^e>' 



BLACK LOCUST (YeUow Locust) 



{Robinia pseiidacacia L.) 



THE black locust occurs throughout the northern 

 half of the State and in all soils and conditions of 

 moisture except in swamps. It is found as a forest 

 tree only in the mountains, where it attains a height 

 of 80 to 100 feet and a diameter of 30 inches. 

 Throughout the other sections of the State it occurs 

 generally in thickets on clay banks or waste places, 



or singly along fence 

 rows. The twigs and 

 branchlets are armed 

 with straight o r 

 slightly curved 

 sharp, strong spines, 

 sometimes as much 

 as 1 inch in length 

 which remain attach- 

 ed to the outer bark 

 for many years. The 

 bark is dark brown 

 and divides into 

 strips as the tree 

 grows older. 



The leaves are pin- 

 nate, or feather-like, 

 from 6 to 10 inches 

 in length consisting 

 of from 7 to 19 ob- 

 long thin leaflets. 



The flowers are 

 fragrant, white or 

 cream-colored, and 

 appear i n early 

 spring in graceful 

 pendant racemes. 

 The fruit is a pod 

 from 3 to 5 inches long containing 4 to 8 small hard 

 seeds which ripen late in the fall. The pod splits 

 open during the winter, discharging the seeds. Some 

 seeds usually remain attached to each half of the 

 pod, and this acts as a wing upon which the seeds 

 are borne to considerable distances before the strong 

 .spring winds. 



The wood is yellow in color, coarse-grained, very 

 heavy, very hard, strong, and very durable in con- 

 tact with the soil. It is used extensively for fence 

 posts, poles, tree nails, insulator pins and occasion- 

 ally for lumber and fuel. 



BLACK LOCUST 



Leaf, one-third natural sizo. 

 Twig, two-thirds natural size. 



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