PEA FAMILY 



may be, the fact remains that such blossoms may and do an- 

 nually appear on this tree. These pretty blossoms have a 

 very pleasant acid taste and are succeeded by flat, many- 

 seeded pods that reach full size in May, when they become 

 bright rose color, finally becoming brown ; they hang upon 

 the tree until early winter. Many trees, however, are sterile, 

 the blossoms falling without producing any fruit. 



The leaves come out from the bud carefully doubled at the 

 line of the midrib and bent upon the petiole. They are five 

 to seven-nerved, that is, instead of the midrib being the prin- 

 cipal line of the woody structure of the leaf, there come out 

 at the base five or six ribs almost as large as the central or 

 midrib. This kind of venation always makes a leaf broad 

 at the base. Sometimes these primary ribs extend away from 

 the apex, then the leaf is very likely to be lobed as are the 

 maples, but in the Redbud the points curve toward the apex 

 and the result is an entire, heart-shaped leaf. 



Why should this beautiful creature be called Judas-tree ? 

 Our native tree is very like the species which is common in 

 Europe, in Japan, in Asiatic Turkey and especially in Judea. 

 In the days when legends gathered about whatever was un- 

 usual in nature, this tree glowing red in the spring time was 

 said to blush because Judas hanged himself upon it. The 

 old world name has crossed the ocean and our pretty Red- 

 bud, blooming in the heart of a continent unknown to that 

 ancient world, bears in every book the blistering name of 

 Judas-tree. 



The type is ancient and the genus has existed in Europe 

 almost as at present from the eocene period. A white va- 

 riety is recorded but has not become common. 



105 



