Trees of New York State 313 



ARALIACEAE 



Aralia spinosa L. 



Hercules' Club 



Habit — A small tree of rapid gro^v'th, usually 20-35 feet in height with a 

 trunk 6-9 inches in diameter, often a shrub sending up coarse, vigorous 

 shoots 10-20 feet in height from stoloniferous roots. Crown flat-topped, 

 consisting of a few stout, spreading branches. Bole generally clean below. 



Leaves — Alternate, clustered at the ends of the branches, odd-bipinnately 

 compound, 2-4 feet long, 2-2 1/^ feet ^A-ide, borne on long, stout, spinulose 

 petioles which are enlarged at the base and sheath the twigs. Leaflets 

 opposite, short-stalked, broadly ovate to lanceolate, acuminate at the 

 apex, cimeate or rounded at the base, finely serrate, at maturity dark 

 green and glabrous above, paler, glabrous or somewhat pubescent and 

 often -^^-ith prickles on the midribs beneath. Terminal leaflet long-stalked. 



Flowers — • Appearing in late July and August, perfect or staminate by 

 abortion, about 1/16 of an inch long, borne on slender, straw-colored 

 pedicels in panicled umbels the branches of which are pale brown, bracteo- 

 late and puberulous, the whole forming a terminal paniculate cluster 3-4 

 feet long. Terminal clusters solitary or 2-3 together above the spreading 

 leaves. Calyx-tube adherent to the ovary, the limb minutely 5-toothed. 

 Petals 5, white, ovate, obtuse, inserted by a broad base on the margin of 

 the disk. Stamens 5, alternate ■\\'ith and about equalling the petals, with 

 slender filaments and ovate anthers. Pistil consisting of an inferior 

 ;j-celled ovary surmounted by 5 connivent styles crowned with capitate 

 stigmas. 



Fruit — An ovoid, 5-angled, black berry about V^ of an inch in diameter, 

 capped by the blackened, persistent styles. The fruit ripens in late 

 August and September. Seeds oblong, rounded at the end, embedded in 

 the thin, purple, very juicy flesh. 



Winter characters — Twigs very coarse, %-l inch in diameter, pale orange, 

 ■ lustrous, lenticellate, characteristically armed with stout, irregularly 

 scattered prickles. Leaf-scars narrow, nearly encircling the twig, Avith a 

 single row of bundle-sears. Terminal bud conical, obtuse, chestnut-brown, 

 V2-% of an inch long. Lateral buds much smaller, flattened, appressed. 

 triangular. Mature bark thin, brown, separated by shallow depressions 

 into broad, anastomosing ridges. Inner bark yellow. 



Habitat — Fertile bottom-lands and moist or wet woodland slopes. Occa- 

 sionally found as an "escape" in dumps and waste places. 



Range — Southern New York westward through southern Indiana and Illinois 

 to Missouri, southward to Florida and eastern Texas. Zones A and B. 



Uses — ■ Of little economic importance aside from its ornamental value. It is 

 a short-lived tree of rapid growth and grotesque habit and is extensively 

 planted for ornament in regions where it is hardy. The bark of the root 

 and the berries possess some medicinal virtues. 



