Texan Ebony 



517 



The calyx is finely hairy, 5-lobed, much shorter than the 

 3 times as long as the corolla. The pod is compressed, 



pink flowers appear from October to March, in loosely paniclcd, globose heads 2 

 to 3 cm. in diameter, 

 corolla; stamens 2 or 

 ID to 15 cm. long, dark brown and hairy, finally bent into two almost complete 

 circles, short-stalked and obHque at the base, abruptly taper-pointed at apex, split- 

 ting into 2 leathery valves, with a reddish inner surface and twisting into a tortu- 

 ous mass; seeds compressed, about 12 mm. long, broadly ovate, black, with a bright 

 scarlet ariloid fleshy stalk. 



The wood is very similar to that of the preceding species, but lighter in color. 



II. TEXAN EBONY 



GENUS SIDEROCARPOS SMALL 

 Species Siderocarpos flexicaulis (Bentham) Small 

 Acacia flexicaulis Bentham 

 Pithecolohium flexicaule Coulter 



HIS beautiful evergreen small tree or shrub occurs in Texas and south- 

 ward into Mexico, attaining a height of 10 meters, with a trunk diam- 

 eter of 9 dm. 



The branches are zigzag and spreading; the twigs are stout, some- 

 what hair}', Hght green, soon becoming 

 smooth, gray to reddish brown and bearing 

 stipular spines 6 to 12 mm. long. The leaves 

 are evenly bipinnate, 4 to 6 cm. long, includ- 

 ing the slender leaf-stalk, which bears small 

 glands; stipules spinose; there are 2 or 3 pairs 

 of pinnae, 3.5 to 4.5 cm. long, on stalks 5 mm. 

 long; the leaflets, 3 to 5 pairs, are almost leath- 

 ery, oblong, oval or obovate, 5 to 12 mm. long, 

 sessile, usually blunt-pointed, rounded at the 

 oblique base, dark green and shining above, 

 paler and finely netted -veined beneath. The 

 flowers, appearing from June to September, 

 are fragrant and yellow, usually perfect, in 

 cyUndric spikes 2 to 4 cm. long on stout 

 hair}' peduncles 1.5 to 2 cm. long; the calyx 

 is bell-shaped, 5-lobed, about 0.5 mm. long; 



corolla about 3 mm. long, its 5 lobes much 



1 ,1 .1.1 , Fig. 478. Texan Ebony. 



longer than the tube; stamens numerous, 



about 5 mm. long, united at the base into a tube the length of the corolla; ovary 



smooth and sessile; style thread-Hke. The fruit ripens in autumn, is narrowly 



oblong, straight or nearly so, somewhat flattened, hard and woody and Hned with 



