Handbook of Trees oe the Noetheen" States and Canada. 355 



The Hercules Club is a small tree, rarely if 

 ever attaining a larger size than 30 or 35 ft. 

 in height with trunk to 9 inclies in diameter 

 and it is often much smaller. It is commonly 

 a vigorous shrub sending up branchless stems 

 from a single base or from stolomferous roots. 

 When it attains the stature of a tree it puts 

 out a few spreading branches and forms a 

 rather flat-topped head. Its beautiful great 

 leaves are the largest of all leaves in the re- 

 gions in which it grows, though their many 

 small leaflets are common]}' mi.staken to be 

 leaves and the leaf-stems branchlets. In keep- 

 ing with the great size of its leaves are the 

 enormous bunches of innumerable small flowers 

 succeeded by small blue berries. The leaf- 

 stems, the great twigs, branches and even 

 the smaller trunks are beset with many sharp 

 stout curved prickers, warning away intruders 

 who might but for these pluck its royal leaves 

 and flower clusters or break its brittle branches. 

 It is justly popular for ornamental planting 

 and no shrubbery is considered well equipped 

 without it. 



Its wood is light, very soft and brittle and 



a large hollow pith-column occupies the centre 



of the trunk. 1 



Leaves at the ends of the branches, bipinnate, 

 2-4 ft. long with lona: stout petioles armed with 

 priclsles ; leaflets broad-ovate, acute or acuminate, 

 serrate, dark green above, paler and often with 

 prickles on midribs beneath. FJowrrft (.Tul.yl 

 about Vs in. across, in many small umbels, ar- 

 ranged in a compound terminal panicle sometimes 

 3 or 4 ft. long ; st.vle distinct. Fruit ripe in 

 August, .3-5-anglPd, subglobose, % in. long, black 

 with purple juice. ^ 



1. A. W., I, 8. 



2. For genus see pp. 449—450. 



