Handbook of Tee.es of the ]^oetiieen States and Canada. 295 



This favorite tree attains the height of 70 

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

 and when isolated from the influence of other 

 trees develops a rather narrow oblong top with 

 more or less contorted sinuous branches. Its 

 natural home is thought 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 Locust is heavy, a cu. ft. 

 when absolutely dry weighing 45.70 lbs., hard, 

 strong and very durable, and highly valued 

 in ship-building, for fence posts, in turnery 

 and especially for treenails. Medicinal prop- 

 erties (tonic, purgative and emetic) are found 

 in the bark of the roots.i 



Leaves 8-14 in. long with glabrous petioles and 

 stipules finally spiny and persistent, 7-0 ovate- 

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

 both ends and emarginate and mucronate at apex, 

 thin, glabrous, dull dark green above, paler and 

 pubescent on the midrib beneath ; stipels linear, 

 caducous : branchlets glabrous or nearly so. 

 Flowers in late spring, white, in loose puberulous 

 racemes, 4-5 in. long, very fragrant and nectifer- 

 ous ; pedicels about Va in. long ; calyx gibbous, 

 the lowest lobe acuminate and longest ; petals 

 white, standard blotched with yellow beneath. 

 Fruit: pods 2-4 in. long, purplish, maturing in 

 late autumn and persisting on the leafless branch- 

 lets late into the winter: seed 3-18 in. long." 



1. A. W., IV, 80. 



2. For genus see p. i^?^. 



