366 



Osage Orange 



cm. long, about one third longer than the shghtly hairy peduncle; the deeply 4- 

 parted perianth is hairy on the outer surface; the anthers are light green. The 

 pistillate catkins are shorter stalked, spreading or pendulous, about half the length 

 of the staminate ones; the perianth is deeply divided into 4 lobes, the two outer 

 much larger than the inner, concave, rounded, and as long as the smooth, ovoid, 

 ova.ry, which they entirely enclose; the 2 long stigmas are white. The fruit ripens 

 in June and July, is cylindric, 3 to 6 cm. long, about i cm. thick, bright red, 

 becoming nearly black, sweet and juicy; the nutlets are ovoid, sharp-pointed, hght 

 brown and very small. 



The wood is soft, weak but tough, coarse-grained and dark yellow; its specific 

 gravity is about 0.59. It is very durable and valued for posts and fencing and used 

 in cooperage, especially for chums and for shoe lasts. 



A handsome, rapid-growing tree, deserving wide cultivation as a shade-tree, 

 sometimes planted for its fruit, which is valuable as food for poultry and swine. 



II. OSAGE ORANGE 



GENUS TOXYLON RAFINESQUE 

 Species Toxylon pomiferum Rafinesque 

 Madura aurantiaca Nuttall. M. pomifera Robinson 



TREE with milky sap and ridged brown astringent bark, occurring in 



the wild state only from Missouri 



to Kansas and Texas, but much 



planted elsewhere for hedges and 

 for ornament; it has become practically natu- 

 raHzed at many places in the eastern and mid- 

 dle States. It attains a maximum height of 

 about 20 meters, with a trunk 6 dm. in diame- 

 ter or more, and is the only species of its 

 genus. The name Toxylon signifies bow- 

 wood, the wood having formerly been used by 

 Indians for bows and other weapons, the bois 

 d'arc. 



The young twigs are green and softly hair}^, 

 soon becoming smooth and brownish. The 

 buds are small and blunt, partly sunken in the 

 twigs. The leaves are finely hairy when 

 young, but smooth, dark green and shining 

 when old; they bear stout spines in the axils, sometimes 5 cm. long; the leaves are 

 alternate, stalked, pinnately veined, ovate-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, not toothed, 

 6 to 15 cm, long, pointed, the base rounded or somewhat cordate; they turn bright 

 yellow in autumn; the stipules fall away soon after the leaves begin to unfold. 



Fig. 325. Osage Orange. 



