720 



CERCIDIPHYLLUM 



CERCIS 



consisting of 3-5-carpels, ending in long, purplish styles 

 and developing into about %in. long, dehiscent pods, 

 with many seeds. One species in Japan and W. China. 

 Hardy, ornamental, shrubby tree of pyramidal and, 

 when young, almost fastigiate habit, with handsome, 



light green foli- 

 age, purplish when 

 unfolding, turning 

 bright yellow or 

 partially scarlet in 

 fall. It prefers 

 rich and moist 

 soil, and grows 

 rapidly when 

 young. Prop, by 

 seeds, sown in 

 spring, and by 

 green wood -cut- 

 tings, taken from 

 forced plants in 

 early spring, or 

 by layers ; cuttings 

 from half-ripened 

 wood in summer, 

 under glass, grow 

 also, but not very 



881. Cercidiphyllum japonicum. 



well. 



jap6nicum,Sieb. 



& Zucc. Fig. 881. 



Bushy tree, com- 

 monly with several trunks, usually 20-30 ft., but some- 

 times rising to 100 ft., with slender, glabrous branches: 

 Ivs. opposite, occasionally alternate, slender-petioled, 

 cordate, orbicular or broadly ovate, obtuse, crenate- 

 serrate, glabrous, glaucous beneath, 2-3 in. long. 

 Japan. G.F. 7:106, 107, and 6:53. Mn. 3:74. Gng. 

 5:135. F.E. 32:211 (habit). P.G. 2:105. S.I.F. 1:41. 

 A very desirable tree, one of the best introductions 

 from Japan. Var. sinense, Rehd. & Wilson. Tree, to 

 120 ft., usually with a single trunk: petioles shorter, 

 about %in. long, somewhat hairy on the veins beneath: 

 caps, gradually narrowed at the apex, H m - long. W. 

 China. This recently intro. variety is perhaps still 

 more desirable than the type. It is the largest of all 

 broad-lvd. trees known from China; the trunk is 

 sometimes free of branches for nearly 50 ft. above the 

 ground and attains to 25 ft. or exceptionally to 55 ft. 

 in girth. ALFRED REHDER. 



CERCIS (Kerkis, ancient Greek name). Leguminbsse. 

 JUDAS TREE. RED-BUD. Trees or shrubs grown for 

 their pink flowers profusely produced early in spring 

 before the leaves; very interesting, also, in mode of 

 branching, as seen in mature trees. 



Leaves deciduous, alternate, petioled, palmately 

 nerved, entire: fls. papilionaceous, pedicelled, pink or 

 red, appearing before or with the Ivs., in clusters or 

 racemes from the old wood; calyx 5- toothed, red; 

 petals nearly equal, the uppermost somewhat smaller: 

 pod compressed, narrow-oblong, narrow-winged on the 

 ventral suture, many-seeded. -Seven species in N. 

 Amer., and from S. Eu. to Japan. 



These trees and shrubs are very ornamental, with 

 handsome distinct foliage and abundant showy flowers 

 in spring, very effective by their deep pink color. They 

 are well adapted for shrubberies or as single specimens 

 on the lawn, and attain rarely more than 20 or 30 feet 

 in height, forming a broad, irregular head when older. 

 Only C. canadensis is hardy North, while C. chinensis 

 can still be grown in sheltered positions near Boston, 

 but is occasionally injured in severe winters; the others 

 can not be grown successfully farther north than New 

 York. They grow best in rich sandy and somewhat 

 moist loam, and should be transplanted when young, 

 as older plants can hardly be moved with success. 

 Young plants, four or five years old, produce flowers 



freely and may be recommended for forcing, especially 

 C. chinensis and C. racemosa, which are the most beau- 

 tiful of all. Propagated by seeds, sown in spring, best 

 with gentle bottom heat; sometimes increased by layers, 

 or by greenwood cuttings from forced plants in early 

 spring; C. chinensis grows also from greenwood cuttinga 

 in summer under glass. 



A. Lvs. abruptly and short-acuminate. 

 B. Fls. in clusters: Ivs. usually pubescent only beneath 



near the base. 



canadensis, Linn. Fig. 882. Tree, to 40 ft.: Ivs. 

 roundish or broadly ovate, usually cordate, 3-5 in. long: 

 fls. rosy pink, %in. long, 4-8 in clusters: pod 2)^-3 ^3 

 in. long. From N. J. south, west to Mo. and Texas. 

 S.S. 3:133-4. A.F. 13:1370. Gng. 6:290. F.E. 9:593. 

 Mn. 2, p. 139. M.D.G. 1899:434-5 (habit). Gn. 25, 

 p. 347. A very desirable ornamental tree for the 

 northern states. Var. alba, Rehd. Fls. white. Var. 

 plena, Schneid. Fls. double. Recently C. canadensis 

 has been split by Greene into several new species (see 

 Fedde, Rep. Spec. Nov. Veget. 11:110). 



chinensis, Bunge (C.japdnica, Sieb.). Fig. 883. Tree, 

 to 50 ft., shrub in cult.: Ivs. deeply cordate, roundish, 

 with a white, transparent line at the margin, subcoria- 

 ceous, glabrous, shining above, 3-5 in. long: fls. 5-8, 

 purplish pink, %in. long: pod 3-5 in. long, narrow. 

 China, Japan. F.S. 8:849. Mn. 2:139. G.F. 6:476. 

 A very beautiful species, with the fls. nearly as large as 

 those of C. Siliquastrum and more abundant. 



BB. Fls. in pendulous racemes. 



racemdsa, Oliv. Tree, to 30 ft. : Ivs. broadly ovate, 

 truncate or subcordate at the base, pubescent beneath, 



882. Cercis canadensis. 



2)^-4 in. long: fls. rosy pink, about ^in. long on slen- 

 der pedicels of about equal length, in many-fld. racemes 

 1H-3 in. long: pod 2>-4 in. long. Cent. China. H.I. 

 1894. The handsomest of all. Young plants have not 

 proved hardy at the Arnold Arboretum, but it is per- 

 fectly hardy in S. England. 



