518 NEW ENGLAND TEEES IN WINTER. 



REDBUD 



Judas Tree. 



Cercis canadensis L. 



HABIT A small tree up to 40 ft. in height though generally smaller, 

 developing an upright or a low, broad, irregular head. 



BARK Reddish-brown to almost black, somewhat ridged and scaly. 



TWIGS Slender, dark reddish-brown, smooth, more or less zigzag. 

 LENTICELS very numerous, minute. PITH especially of older growth, 

 generally with reddish longitudinal streaks. 



LEAF-SCARS Alternate, 2-ranked, small, slightly raised, inversely 

 triangular, with short, decurrent, spreading, more or less evident ridge 

 from outer edges. STIPULE-SCARS absent. BUNDLE-SCARS 3, 

 large. 



BUDS Terminal bud absent, lateral buds small, 3 mm. long, or 

 generally much smaller, blunt, dark purplish-red, somewhat flattened 

 and appressed, one or more superposed buds often present the upper- 

 most the largest; flower buds conspicuously present on older wood 

 often at the base of a branch (see plate) or even on the trunk itself. 

 BUD-SCALES overlapping, somewhat hairy on the edges, about 2 

 visible to a leaf bud, several to a flower bud. 



FRUIT A flat pod about 3 inches long, with small compressed 

 seeds. 



COMPARISONS The stout purplish flower buds below the insertion 

 of the branches on the old wood will serve to identify this small tree. 

 The reddish streaks in the older pith seem to be a constant character 

 so far as investigated and if so will be a useful mark of distinction. 



DISTRIBUTION Not native to New England but frequently planted 

 as an ornamental tree. It grows native along the borders of streams 

 and rich bottom land from Ontario to New Jersey south to Florida and 

 west to Minnesota and Arkansas. 



"WOOD Heavy, hard, not strong, close-grained, rich dark brown 

 tinged with red, with thin lighter colored sapwood of 8-10 layers of 

 annual growth; of little commercial importance. 



