ROBINIA 119 



(137) (138) — Amorpha fruticosa — with 11- to 25-bladed leaves and violet- 

 purple flowers, May to July ; and a low bush, 1-3 feet high, Lead Plant or 

 Downy Amoki'ha (13'.>) — Amorpha caiiescens — with lo to 51 lead-colored 

 blades, bright blue flowers (July, August) and whitish branches. A species 

 only slightly shrubby at base, Dwarf Indigo — Amorpha herb^cea — is 

 grayish-hairy all over with crowded leaves, growing to the height of 2 

 to 4 feet ; the blades are numerous, 11-37, with black glands on the under 

 side ; it blooms in spring with white or purple flowers. 



Besides these three, the common ones in cultivation, there are sev- 

 eral others which may be found in the South. They can all be recognized 

 by the peculiar lopsided flowers of but one petal in terminal spike-like 

 clusters, 10 exserted stamens united at base, and the short 1- to 2-seeded 

 pods. The blades of the leaves, if held to the light, are seen to be dotted. 



[Seeds; twig cuttings ; layers; suckers.] 



Indig6fera. The Indigo plants are shrubs or herbs mainly cultivated 

 for use rather than ornament but a few shrubby species are, in the South, 

 raised for their beauty. The flowers are small, pea-shaped, in axillary 

 racemes and the fruit are elongated pods. The leaves are odd-pinnate 

 with 7 to 21 blades. [Twig cuttings ; seeds.] 



KEY TO THE ORNAIVIENTAL INDIGOFERAS 



* Clusters of flowers longer than the leaves, rosy-red, (A.) 

 A. Weak-growing almost climbing shrub with 13-17 sharp-pointed 

 blades to the leaves ; slender stems red-tinged. Chinese Indigo 

 (140) — Indigofera decora. 

 A. Erect-growing with 17-21 broader and blunter blades to the 

 leaves. Indigofera macrdstachys. 

 *■ Clusters of flowers not longer than the leaves. Smooth erect shrub 

 with 0-17 oblong to rounded blades to the leaves. Australian 

 Indigo — Indigofera austr^lis. 



Robiaia. The Locusts are generally tall trees, a few species are always 

 shrubs, and one is a busby tree. All have beautiful clustered pea-shaped 

 flowers, odd-pinnate alternate leaves and pea-shaped pods. Bristly 

 Locust or Rose 'Acacia' (141) — Robiniahfspida — grows 2 to 8 feet high 

 with bristly-hairy twigs and leaves, beautiful large rose-colored flowers 

 (May to July), and 0-to 18-bladed leaves. Clammy Locust — liobinia vis- 

 c6sa — is a small tree, 10 to 30 feet, with sticky stems, leaf -stalks, and 

 pods. The blades of the leaf range from 11 to 27 ; the flowers are pink 

 or rose-colored in racemes 2 to 4 inches long of 6 to 15 flowers ; the flat 



