Uanubook of Trees of the ]^ortiieex States and Canada. 295 



This favorite tree attains the height of 70 

 or 80 ft. with a trunk diameter of 3 or 4 ft. 

 and when isohitod from the inll\ience of otiier 

 trees develop-; a rather narrow oblong top witli 

 more or less contorte^l sinuous branches. Its 

 natural home is tluniglit to be limited to the 

 slopes of the Alleghany Mountains as indi- 

 cated on our map, but on account of its valua- 

 ble wood, the delicacy and beauty of its grace- 

 ful foliage and fragrant flowers it has been 

 probably more extensively planted both in this 

 country and Europe for ornament and use than 

 any other North American tree, and being pos- 

 sessed of a hardy adaptable constitution it has 

 become widely naturalized throughout eastern 

 United States and Canada. Several nursery 

 varieties are found in cultivation. 



The wood of the Loc; st is heavy, a cu. ft. 

 when absolutely dry weighing 4.5.70 lbs., hard, 

 strong and very durable, and highly valued 

 in .ship-building, for fence posts, in turnery 

 and especially for treenails. Ifedicinal prop- 

 erties (tonic, purgative and emetic) are found 

 in the bark of the roots. i 



Leaves 8-14 in. long with glaln-ous petioles and 

 stipules flDally spiny and persistent, 7-0 ovatc- 

 obioDg or oval leaflets, 1-2 in. long, rounded at 

 both ends and emarginate and mueronate at a[trx. 

 thin, glabrous, dull dark green aho^e, paler and 

 pubescent on the midrit> beneath : stipeis linear, 

 caducous : branchlets glabrous or nearly so. 

 Flowers in late spring, wliite. in loose iiuborulous 

 racemes, 4-") in, long, very fragrant and nectifer- 

 ous : pedicels about ^^ in. long ; calyx gibbous, 

 the lowest lobe acuminate and longest : petals 

 white, standard blotched with yellow beneath. 

 Fruit: pods lJ-4 in. long, purplish, maturing in 

 late autumn and persisting on the leafless branch- 

 lets late into the winti^r : seed .'MtJ in. long.- 



1. A. W., IV, 80. 



2. For genus see p. 443. 



