PEA FAMILY 
Winter Buds.—Minute, three or four together, upper one larger 
than the others. Spine bud minute, above the axil of the leaf and 
embedded in the bark. 
Leaves.—Alternate, pinnately or bi-pinnately compound, seven 
to eight inches long, main stem grooved, enlarged at the base, eigh- 
teen to twenty foliate ; sometimes bi-pinnate with four to seven pairs 
of pinne, upper pair often four or five inches long, lowest often 
single leaflets. Leaflets lanceolate-oblong, one and one-half to 
two inches long, rather unequal at base, crenulate-serrate, slightly 
rounded at apex. They come out of the bud reddish, when full 
grown are dark green and shining on upper surface, dull yellow 
green beneath. In autumn they turn a clear pale yellow. 
Flowers.—May, June. Polygamo-dicecious, regular, small, green- 
ish. Staminate flowers in short, many-flowered racemes, two to two 
and one-halfinches long. Pistillate in slender, few-flowered, solitary 
racemes, two and one-half to three inches long. 
Calyx.—Campanulate, five-lobed, hairy. 
Corolla.—Petals five, greenish, imbricate in bud. 
Stamens.—F ive, hairy, exserted ; filaments slender, anthers green. 
Pistil—-Ovary superior, stipitate, one-celled, woolly ; style short ; 
stigma dilated, rudimentary in the staminate flower; ovules sev- 
eral. 
Fruit—-Legumes, twelve to eighteen inches long, dark brown, 
slightly curved, borne in short racemes, walls thin and tough, inner 
coat papery, contain quantity of sweet pulp between the seeds. In 
drying they twist, fall in early winter. Seeds twelve to fourteen, 
oval, flattened. 
The foliage of the Honey Locust is that of the common 
Locust etherealized. There are the same varied values in its 
greens, the same velvety effects in the mass, but the effect 
as a whole is lighter, more delicate, more beautiful, for the 
leaves are doubly pinnate instead of singly pinnate, the leaf- 
lets are smaller and the tree itself not being subject to at- 
tacks of insects oftener attains its normal proportions. 
The most striking peculiarity of the Honey Locust is its 
thorns, and these thorns are of avery aggressive type. Many 
trees are literally covered, trunk and branches, with spines 
from two to six inches long, sometimes in clusters, often three 
pronged or compound, very sharp and rigid, making a most 
formidable defence against the attacks of man or beast. The 
origin of spines or prickles is always interesting. The thorns 
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