Robinia 1507 



1882, and was sent from there to Kew in 1887, It is perfectly hardy at Kew, 

 ripening seed, and has already attained a height of 25 feet. It is an ornamental small 

 tree, producing beautiful pale pink flowers in June, and occasionally a second time in 

 autumn. It flowers best in hot dry summers. (A. H.) 



In my trial ground at Colesborne a seedling procured from Kew has endured 

 winter frosts below zero without injury, and ripens its wood in a young state better 

 than the common Robinia. At Aldenham House a young tree 15 ft. high bore 

 fruit in 191 1, and evidently liked the hot dry summer. Mr. Vicary Gibbs considers 

 its flowers more ornamental than those of any variety, except R. Pseudacacia var. 

 Decaisneana. (H. J. E.) 



ROBINIA VISCOSA, Clammy Locust 



Robinia viscosa, Ventenat, Hort. Cels. 4, t. 4 (1800); Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. ii. 626 (1838); 



Sargent, Silva N. Amer. iii. 45, t. 115 (1892), and Trees N. Amer. 574 (1905). 

 Robinia glutinosa, Sims, in Bat. Mag. xvi. t. 560 (1803). 



A tree, attaining 40 ft. in height and 3 ft. in girth, with thin smooth dark 

 brown bark. Young branchlets covered with sessile and short-stalked glands, 

 exuding a viscid matter. Leaflets nine to twenty-five, ovate or oval, rounded at the 

 base, acute or rounded at the apex, which ends in a short mucro ; pubescence similar 

 to that of R. Pseudacacia ; stipels slender, mostly deciduous ; petiolules \ in. 

 long, pubescent. 



Flowers, about ten to fifteen, inodorous, in pubescent glandular short racemes ; 

 pedicels pubescent ; calyx-lobes all subulately pointed, pubescent ; corolla pale pink, 

 with a narrow standard marked on the inner surface with a pale yellow blotch. Pod 

 about 3 in. long, glandular-hispid. 



This species is readily distinguished in winter by the viscid glandular twigs, 

 which look as if oiled. The stipules are subulate, ultimately either deciduous or 

 developing into slender short spines. 



No varieties ^ of this species are known ; but it forms hybrids with R. Pseudacacia, 

 which are described on p. 1500. 



The Clammy Locust, as it is called in America, is confined in the wild state to 

 the mountains of North and South Carolina, where it occurs as a small tree or large 

 shrub, often spreading by root-suckers and forming considerable thickets. It has 

 been widely planted in the eastern United States, and is now naturalised in many 

 places east of the Mississippi and as far north as the Canadian frontier. 



It was introduced into England in 1797, and first flowered, according to Sims, 

 in Mr. Whiteley's garden at Old Brompton in 1800. It is occasionally seen in 

 botanic gardens, as at Kew, where there are several old specimens 25 to 35 ft. in 

 height, which are probably the finest in Europe. This species is much slower in 

 growth than R. Pseudacacia, but is ornamental on account of its pink flowers, which 

 are produced in June and July. (A. H.) 



» In Loudon, Card. Mag. xvii. 391 (i 841), it is stated that Vilmorin found at Vemkes seedlings of this species with 

 branchlets, which were not viscid. 



