Handbook of Treks of the Nok 



X SlATKS AND CaNADA. 



The Honey Locust attains the height of from 

 ~i> to 140 ft. when {irowing in tlie forests, and 

 when isolated develops a broad rounded or 

 loft}' llat-lopped head with drooping lateral 

 branches and of very characteristic aspect. Its 

 trunk, commonly 2 or 3 ft. in diameter, excep- 

 tionally 5 or G ft., is vested in a dark gray 

 bark with closely appressed firm scales. It 

 usually bears a rigid sharp 1-3-pointed glossy 

 purple-brown thorn above the axil of each leaf, 

 and the trunk and bases of the large branches 

 often bristle with very formidable branching 

 thorns, but trees are occasionally met with in 

 which the thorns are nearly or entirely absent. 

 It inhabits chiefly moist bottom-lands in com- 

 pany with various Oaks and Hickories, the 

 Black Walnut, Hackberry, Buckeye, etc.. and 

 although growing naturally only west of the 

 Alleghanies and in the IMississippi valley has 

 become widely naturalized outside of its origi- 

 nal range. It is extensively planted for orna- 

 mental purposes, hedges, etc. From its incon- 

 spicuous flowers the bees gather much honey. 



Its wood is heavy, a cu. ft. when ab.solutely 



dry weighing 42 lbs., strong and very dura'Dic 



and is used for railway-ties, posts and in the 



manufacture of agricultural implements. 2 



Leaves 7-10 in. long with 7-10 pairs of loaflotP 

 or 4-8 pairs of pinnu> with puljo.^icont petioles and 

 raohisps, the loaflcts sliort-stalkod, oblonK-laiicc- 

 olatp, inpqiiil.ntcial at liasp. ohtnsp or roundi'd at 

 each end. ciciHilali''. lustrous dark jrrocn nbovr. 

 palpp and ofti'ii pnlicsccnt on the midribs bciimtli. 

 f'loirrrs (.Tunc) from axils of tho loaves <if tli" 

 previous season, groi^n and rich in honoy. lh;> 

 staminatP in dense and somptimos clustered racc- 

 mos. thp pistillate in few-flowered and usually 

 solitary racemes. Fruit pods, linear. 10-1 S i-i 

 lone, shinin-i dark brown and usually coniort "d 

 and twisted in short racemes and " contaitiiii,' 

 numerous hard oval compressed seeds separated by 

 a sweetish succulent pulp.' 



1. Sometimes spelled Glcditscliin. 



2. A. W., II, 28. 



:\. For genus see p. 442. 



