THE LOCUSTS 175 



base, dark green above, pale yellowish-green 

 below, and slightly hairy along the ribs. Al- 

 ways the leaves of the coffee tree seem to delight 

 in color effects. But we never find them ex- 

 perimenting, or trying on new fashions. We 

 know just what to expect at each season. In 

 spring, the little buds open in clusters of pink- 

 ish down; the first leaves have yellowish tints, 

 as the summer advances they are a bronze- 

 green; in the autumn, they turn to bright, clear 

 yellow. The flowers are white tinged with 

 green, and differ from those of their locust kin 

 in shape, being small, round, and five-toothed. 

 The name "Kentucky" coffee tree is mislead- 

 ing, for the tree ranges from New York south- 

 ward and westward. 



The catalpa and the red-bud, or Judas tree, 

 are very near relatives of the locusts. They 

 have heart-shaped leaves, and the most exquisite 

 stalks of bloom. Almost every one knows the 

 purple-and-gold flecked fragrant white blossoms 

 of the catalpa. The flower is tubular and two- 

 lipped, and so poised that the upper lip serves 

 as an umbrella for the pollen, while the lower 

 one makes an attractive resting place or shelf 

 for the winged insects. The long slender pods 

 are pistils "grown out of all knowledge." 

 They hang on the tree well into the winter, each 



