Handbook of Trees of the Northeen States and Canada. 295 



Tliis favorite tree attains the height of 70 

 or 80 ft. with a trunk .liaiiictir of 3 or 4 ft. 

 and when isohited from the intliien e of other 

 trees develops a ratlier narrow oblong top with 

 more or less contorted sinuous branches. Its 

 natural home is thought to be limited to the 

 slopes of the Allegliany Mountains as indi- 

 cated on our map. but on account of its valua- 

 ble wood, the delicacy and beauty of its grace- 

 ful foliage and fragrant flowers it has been 

 probably more extensively planted both in this 

 country and Europe for ornament and use than 

 any other North American tree, and being pos- 

 sessed of a hardy adaptable constitution it lias 

 become widely naturalized throughout eastern 

 United States and Canada. Several nursery 

 varieties are found in cultivation, 



Tlie wood of the Loct st is heavy, a cu. ft. 

 when absolutely dry weighing 45.70 lbs., hard, 

 strong and very durable, and highly valued 

 in ship-building, for fence posts, in turnery 

 and especially for treenails. Medicinal prop- 

 erties (tonic, purgative and emetic) are found 

 in the bark of the roots.i 



Leaves 8-14 in. long with glabrous petioles and 

 stipules finally spiny and persistent, 7-0 ovate- 

 olilong or oval leaflets, 1-2 in. long, rounded at 

 both ends and emarginate and mticronate at apex, 

 thin, glabrous, dull dark green aliove. paler and 

 pubescent on the midrib beneath : stipi^Is linear. 

 caducous: branchlets glalirons or nearly so. 

 Flowers in late spring, white, in loose piiln'nilons 

 racemes. 4-5 in. long, very fragrant and nectifer- 

 oiis ; pedicels about '/. in. long ; calyx gibbous. 

 the lowest lol)e acuminate and longest : petals 

 white, standard blotched witli yellow beneath. 

 Fruit: pods U-4 in. long, purplish, maturing in 

 late autumn and persisting on the leafless branch- 

 lets late into the winter ; seed 3-lC in. long.* 



1. A. W., IV, 80. 



■J. For genus see p. 443. 



