5« 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



a spreading shrub, only reaching greater size 

 in one or two restricted areas, where it occurs 

 as a low tree of 20 to 25 feet. It is a hardy, 

 vigorous plant of fine habit, the young shoots, 

 the under-side of the leaves, the flower-stalks, 

 and the seed-pods covered with short brown 

 bristles ; the branches bear two spines at each 

 node. Its bluish-green leaves are rather long 

 and gracefully drooping, while the flowers, of 

 a pale rose colour, are carried in short dense 

 clusters towards the end of the summer. It 

 is a useful addition to the group, hardy, and 

 flowering freely when quite small. There is 

 also a form of this plant known as /uxurians, and 

 coming from the southern Rocky Mountains; 

 it is of larger growth, bearing compound ra- 

 cemes of flower twice during the season. Does 

 not thrive in heavy cold soils. 



The Common Locust Tree (R. pseuda- 

 cacia). — The fine picturesque form, tender 

 green foliage, and fragrant white flowers of this 

 handsome tree are too familiar to need descrip- 

 tion. It is of rapid growth, reaching in good 

 soil a height of 70 to 80 feet, with a girth of 

 1 5 feet, though such a size is uncommon, the 

 average of mature trees being 60 feet. When 

 once established it spreads rapidly by suckers, 

 which thrive even in the shade of other trees ; 

 in this way it has spread over many parts of 

 Europe, its leaves often being used as fodder 

 for cattle. When it can be had of fair size it's 

 wood is of value, being very hard and lasting, 

 free from knots, working well, and taking a 

 high polish; for making posts, door and win- 

 dow frames, and similar uses, it is equal to Oak, 

 standing exposure better than most kinds of 

 timber. Growing freely in poor and dry soils 

 and fearless of drought, it is often used to plant 

 on railway banks in the south of Europe, and 

 has even proved its value in fixing shifting 

 sandbanks along the Rhone, Danube, and other 

 rivers. Varieties of the Locust Tree: — Its 

 varieties are legion but number amongst them 

 forms distinct and beautiful. Some of these 

 varieties have been successfully raised from 

 cuttings, and others, asDecaisne's, come'fairly 

 true from seed, but to save time and trouble in 

 the nursery they are invariably grafted. The 

 Fern-leaved Robinia {angustifolia) is a fine 

 leaved form of good growth and very graceful ; 

 the Golden Robinia (aurea), a plant of good 

 habit and distinct in colour; Besson's Robinia 



(Bessom'ana), forming when young a dense 

 rounded head with large leaves and free of 

 spines, which resists wind and is much used for 

 avenues — grows readily from cuttings ; colu- 

 teoides, a distinct low-growing shrub for rock- 

 gardens ; contorta, a plant of eccentric habit ; 



I crispa, with leaves twisted and rolled ; De- 

 caisne's Robinia (Decaisneand) a beautiful pink- 

 flowered kind, of vigorous growth, free of 

 spines, and flowering later than the type — 

 comes fairly true from seed, which, however, 



j is of uncertain germination; rubra and rosea, 

 forms of this with flowers of a darker and 

 lighter shade of colour ; fastigtata, with the 

 erect habit and appearance of the Italian Pop- 

 lar, one of the most distinct ; the Spineless 

 Robinia (inermis) with smooth branches in the 

 form of dense rounded heads, and no flowers 

 —a mop-like tree common in suburban gar- 

 dens ; the Mimosa-leaved Robinia {mimosce- 



\ folia) i with finely cut elegant leaves gracefully 

 drooping; the Simple-leaved Robinia {mono- 

 phylla), a distinct tree of robust growth, bear- 

 ing large leaves, variable in form but often 

 blended into one, which are held longer than 

 in other kinds — good as a shade tree in towns ; 

 theWeepingRobinia (pendu/a), of which there 

 are several forms rather stiffly drooping, and 

 differing in their leaves ; pyramidalis, a tall tree 

 of upright habit; R/ieden', a compact rounded 

 bush, grown low for rock-gardens ; Rozyn- 

 skiana, of medium growth and spreading 

 branches, remarkable for its immense droop- 

 ing leaves, at times exceeding 2 feet in length ; 

 the Perpetual-flowering Robinia {semperjio- 

 rens), in which the season of flower is prolonged 

 throughout the summer — one of the most use- 

 ful and distinct ; and U/riciana, with branches 

 gracefully drooping. 



The Gummy Locust Tree (R.viscosa). — - 

 Thisfine flowering tree is rare eveninits native 



I country, and not often met with in gardens 

 though introduced many years ago; this is, 

 perhaps, due to its slower growth and smaller 

 show of bloomthan in thecommonerkinds. Its 

 height never much exceeds 40 feet, its usual 

 form being that of a large shrub or low tree of 

 10 to 12 feet high. Well grown, it is a con- 

 spicuous and richly tinted plant, fine in leaf 

 and in flower, the colour of which resembles 

 those of Decaisne's Rosy Robinia, but rather 



J lighter in shade and borne in clusters that are 



