BL \< k LOCI ST 

 Robinia pseudacacia 



The Pea Familj 



PAPILION \< E U 



Habit and Habitat: A small to large tree, in our state reaching 

 a height of 10 feet, with a trunk diameter of L2-20 inches; the few 

 large branches and twigs form an oval or rounded, more or less irregular 

 an«l scraggly crown; the branches are often bent and twisted into various 



Grows lust in moist, well-drained soils hut readily adapts 

 tself to a variety of Bite conditions. 



Leaves and Buds: The leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, 

 5-12 inches long; leaflets 7-15 or more, 1-1% inches long, about one-half 



t road, oval or oblong, entire, or notched at the tip, short-stalked. 

 quite thin, dull bluish-green above, pale beneath, smootn on both sid< 



tioles more or less hairy. Buds very tiny. :'.- 1 superposed, partially 

 sunken within the twig:, brownish and hairy. 



Flowers and Fruits: Flowers produced in late May or dune, when 



- are full grown, perfect, in large closely-downed, drooping, showy 

 (dusters, white or cream-colored, very fragrant, the clusters 4-(> inches 

 long, each Mower x - 2 -\ inch long; calyx short, bell-shaped, 5-lobed, hairy; 



polla pea-shaped, white; petals 5; stamens 10; pistil 1. The fruit ma- 

 tures in late autumn, and may persist upon the tree for many weeks 

 after leaf-fall, a smooth, fiat, linear, dark brown, dry pod, .">-4 inches 

 long and about % inch wide; seeds 4-8, small, olivaceous or brown, flat, 

 very hard. 



Bark. Twigs and Wood: The twigs are smooth, green, but later 

 ome brownish and armed with low prickles or thorns with broad 

 bases; bark on old branches and main trunk dark, reddish-brown, to 

 nearly black, thick, deeply furrowed by heavy, curving ridges. The 

 thorns disappear completely from the branches several years old. Th" 

 wi od is heavy, very strong and durable in contact with the soil, hard, 

 close-grained, brown, with thin, pale yellow sapwood. 



Distribution in the State: The Hack locust is native to the Pennsyl- 

 vania region but has been extensively naturalized in the eastern states 

 and the middle west. A (dose relative in western United States pro- 

 duces beautiful clusters of pink flowers. The species has been rather 

 commonly planted in eastern Nebraska where it has escaped from culti- 

 vation and it may now be seen here and there among our native tare 

 It does not do well in western Nebraska although it has been planted 

 there occasionally. 



Remarks: The wood of this tree is remarkably durable in contact 

 with the soil and hence is very valuable in the form of fence posts, poles 

 and railway ties. A certain railroad company in the east has planted 

 .! hundred acres of the trees for ties. The tree prTOWS rapidly for 

 tile first few years, but is short -lived. Unfortunately it becomes 

 ously infested with borers which cause unsightly conditions to de- 

 velop, which also destroy the wood and eventually kill the tree. N'umer 

 attack the leaves in some parts of the country. The tl 



lily propagated, in fact it la rapidly .»f its own accord by 



- of numerous underground stems. The specific name, pseu lacacia, 



"false acacia". Robinia is closely related to the Acacia 



—127 



