Michigan Trees Part 36

FRUIT.--Ripens in autumn, but remains closed until late in winter; short-stalked, red-brown legumes 6-10 inches long, 1-1/2-2 inches wide, containing 6-9 large, flat seeds.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds minute, depressed, 2 in the axil of each leaf, bronze-brown, silky-p.u.b.escent.

BARK.--Twigs coated with short, dense, reddish p.u.b.escence, becoming light brown; thick, deeply fissured and scaly on the trunk, dark gray.

WOOD.--Heavy, somewhat soft, strong, coa.r.s.e-grained, very durable in contact with the soil, light red-brown, with thin, lighter colored sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Southern Michigan as far north as the Grand River.

Infrequent.

HABITAT.--Prefers bottom-lands and rich soil.

NOTES.--The seeds in early days were used as a subst.i.tute for coffee.

[Ill.u.s.tration: +Honey Locust. Three-thorned Acacia+

1. Winter twig, 1.

2. Vertical section through lateral buds, enlarged.

3. Leaf, 1/4.

4. Leaflet, 1.

5. Staminate flowering branchlet, 1/2.

6. Staminate flower, enlarged.

7. Pistillate flowering branchlet, 1/2.

8. Pistillate flower, enlarged.

9. Fruit, 1/3.

10. Spine from trunk, 1/2.]

+LEGUMINOSAE+

+Honey Locust. Three-thorned Acacia+

_Gleditsia triacanthos L._

HABIT.--A tree usually 50-75 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet; dividing near the ground into several large, upright branches which divide again into long, slender, horizontal branchlets; both trunk and large branches armed with stout, rigid, simple or branched spines.

LEAVES.--Alternate, pinnately or bipinnately compound, 7-12 inches long.

Leaflets 18 or more, 3/4-1-1/2 inches long, one-third as broad; lanceolate-oblong; remotely crenulate-serrate; thin; l.u.s.trous, dark green above, dull yellow-green beneath. Petioles and rachises p.u.b.escent.

FLOWERS.--May-June, when the leaves are nearly full grown; polygamo-dioecious; the staminate in short, many-flowered, p.u.b.escent racemes; the pistillate in slender, few-flowered racemes; on shoots of the preceding season; calyx campanulate, hairy 3-5-lobed; petals 3-5, greenish; stamens 3-10; ovary 1-celled, woolly.

FRUIT.--Autumn, falling in early winter; flat, pendent, twisted, brown legumes, 12-18 inches long, short-stalked in short racemes; seeds 12-14, oval, flattened.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds minute, 3 or more superposed, glabrous, brownish.

BARK.--Twigs l.u.s.trous, red-brown, becoming gray-brown; thick on the trunk, iron-gray to blackish and deeply fissured into long, narrow ridges roughened by small scales.

WOOD.--Hard, strong, coa.r.s.e-grained, durable in contact with the ground, red-brown, with thin, pale sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Indigenous to the extreme southern portion of the state, but is planted as far north as Bay City.

HABITAT.--Prefers deep, rich loam, but grows on a variety of soils.

NOTES.--Grows rapidly and is long-lived and free from disease. Easily transplanted. The leaves appear late in spring and fall early in autumn.

The stiff spines and long pods which litter the ground make the tree unsuitable for street or ornamental use.

[Ill.u.s.tration: +Redbud. Judas-tree+

1. Winter twig, 1.

2. Portion of twig, front view, enlarged.

3. Portion of twig, side view, enlarged.

4. Leaf, 1/2.

5. Flowering branchlet, 1.

6. Vertical section of flower, enlarged.

7. Fruit, 1/2.]

+LEGUMINOSAE+

+Redbud. Judas-tree+

_Cercis canadensis L._

HABIT.--A small tree 20-30 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 10-15 inches; divided near the ground into stout, straggling branches to form a broad, flat crown.

LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long and broad; heart-shaped or rounded; entire; thick; glabrous, dark green above, paler beneath, turning bright yellow in autumn; petioles slender, terete, enlarged at the base.

FLOWERS.--April-May, before or with the leaves; perfect; 1/2 inch long; borne on short, jointed pedicels in fascicles of 4-8; calyx campanulate, 5-toothed, dark red; petals 5, rose color; stamens 10, in 2 rows.

FRUIT.--June-July, remaining on the tree until early winter; a short-stalked legume 2-1/2-3 inches long, pointed at both ends, rose color; seeds 10-12, brownish, 1/4 inch long.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds 1/8 inch long, obtuse, somewhat flattened and appressed, brownish.

BARK.--Twigs l.u.s.trous, brown, becoming dark or grayish brown; red-brown, deeply fissured, with a scaly surface on old trunks.

WOOD.--Heavy, hard, coa.r.s.e-grained, weak, dark red-brown, with thin, lighter colored sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Valleys of the Grand and Raisin Rivers and southward.

HABITAT.--Prefers the borders of streams and rich bottom-lands, often in the shade of other trees.

NOTES.--A rapid grower. Hardy within its range. Can be transplanted with success only when very young. Plants begin to produce flowers freely when 4-5 years old. Much used in landscape gardening.