CHAPTER LX: THE CATALPAS 



Family Bignoniace/e 



Genus CATALPA, Scop. 



Trees with soft coarse-grained, durable wood. Leaves 

 large, simple, heart shaped, opposite or whorled. Flowers large, 

 white, showy, perfect, in panicles. Fruit long, cylindrical pods 

 full of compressed winged and tufted seeds. 



KEY TO SPECIES 



A. Flowers many in clusters; leaves thin; pods slender, thin 

 walled. (L. Catalpa) catalpa 



AA. Flowers few in clusters; leaves thick; pods stout, thick 

 walled. (C. speciosa) western catalpa 



The bignonia family includes among its hundred genera of 

 tropical plants three of arborescent habit in the United States. 

 Large flowers and conspicuous fruits are family traits. The 

 most important timber and ornamental trees are in the genus 

 Catalpa, which has in all seven species. Two of these are found 

 in the United States. 



Catalpa, Indian Bean (Catalpa Catalpa, Karst.) — Low, 

 spreading tree, 25 to 50 feet high, with broad, irregular head of 

 coarse twigs. Bark light brown, reddish, smooth. tVood coarse 

 grained, soft, light brown, durable in contact with the ground. 

 Buds all lateral, above circular leaf scar, minute, globular; inner 

 scales grow to 2 inches long. Leaves bright green, opposite or in 

 three's, 6 to 8 inches long, half as wide, ovate, entire, or some- 

 times lobed and wavy margined, pubescent beneath; of unpleasant 

 odour; petioles stout, long, terete. Flowers, June or July, 

 perfect; large, white, irregular, the frilled corolla marked with 

 two yellow stripes and numerous purplish dots; pedicels downy; 

 panicles loose, 6 to 10 inches long. Fruit a green, cylindrical 

 pod, 6 to 20 inches long, 2-valved, filled with flat, tufted seeds. 



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