File:Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forestry), no. 11 (1901) (20314811850).jpg

Title: Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forestry), no. 11
Identifier: bulletinpennsylv11pennx (find matches)
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Pennsylvania. Dept. of Forestry
Subjects: Forests and forestry
Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa. : The Department : WM. Stanley Ray, state printer of Pennsylvania
Contributing Library: Penn State University
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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PLATE XCVII. COMMON LOCUST 1. A llowciiiii.' lirancli, x J. 2. A liiiitiiiji liraiiHi, x §. :',. A Aviiitcr twin, x h. I Section of »i winter twiu. <'iil:ns:Hch tree- size while the others remain shnibs. The generic name is in conmienioration <»f the lYench l)otaniat Jean Robin and Iiis son Ves))asien. FORM.—^A medium-sized tree usually 30-45 ft. high with a diameter of 1-1) ft. but may reach a height of 75 ft. with a diameter of 2-2i feet. Forest-grown specimens are often straight, clean, and free from branches for J of height of tree. Open grown sttecimens usually branch low. Crown usually narrow, oblong, and open. BARK—On both young and old trunks rough, reddish-brown, deeply furrowed, with high rather rounded ridges which do not peel off in scales; sontetimes 1-1^ inches in thickness. See Fig. 104. TWIGS—Itather stout, brittle, more or less zigzag, round to angular in cnms-section, some- times ridged, greenish to reddish-browni; often bearing two spines at a node, covered with a few pale lenticels; pith white and often angiUar. BUDS—Alternate; terminal one absent; small, 3-4 superiwsed, imbedded in twig under leaf- scar in a rusty somewhat hairy cavity. Their iwsition is hardly visible in winter but becomes evident in spring when growth starts. LEAVES—Alternate, compound, 8-14 inches long; pp, and swollen at the base. Leaflets odd in number and stalked, ovate to oblong, 7-21 in number, 1-2 inches long, usually rounded at apex and base, entire on margin. LEAF-SCARS—Alternate, more than 2-ranked, rather large and conspicuous, irregular in out- line, covering the buds; often located between two prickles which are developed and hardened stipules; contain 3 bundle-scars. FLOWERS—^Appear about May after the leaves or occasionally before the leaves, resembling the blossom of a pea. Perfect, cream-white, about an inch across, fragrant, borne on slender stalks about i of an inch long, airanged in loose drooping racemes 4-5 inches long. FRUIT—A small, dark brown, and thin pod, 2-4 inches long and i of an inch wide; usually containing from 4-8 small dark brown mottled seeds. The pods often persist far into winter. WOOD Ring-porous; rays quite distinct, especially on radial section; heavy, very hard and strong, very durable in contact with the soil, yellowish-brown to cherry-red or reddish-brown, with thin greenish or yellowish sapwood. Weighs about 40 lbs. per cubic foot. Used extensively In former time for shipbuilding, and at present for posts, in turnery, for tree nails, insulator pins, and fuel. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS—The Common Locust, also known as the Black Locust, Yellow Locust, White Locust, Locust, and Acacia, may be distinguished by its droop- ing racemes of white irregular flowers, its odd-pinnate comi-ound leaves, its twigs with two short spines at a node, its 2-4 inch long leathery fruit pod and its deeply furrowed retldlsh-brown bark The leaf scars, located between the two spines when present, and covermg 3-4 rusty downy superposed buds, are also characteristic. The disagreeable odor and yellow color of the roots are distinctive. The characteristic coloration of the foliage of this tree when attacked by the Locust Leaf Miner and tlie characteristic swelling of the branches when attacked by the Locust Borer aid in recognizing it. The presence of the fruiting body of the Locust Rot (Fomes rimosus) so coranion in southern Pennsylvania, is a sure means of Identifying the tree. RANGE—Mountains of Pennsylvania, south to Georgia, westward to Iowa and Kansas. Nat- uralized over an extensive area in America and widely planted in LMrope, DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA—Originally it was found only in the central and south- ern iK>rtions of tlie Allegheny Mountains in this State. At present it is found all over the State as an ornamental tree or in fence rows and in many places it has escaped into the forest and abandoned fields. HABITAT—<irow8 vigorously on mcist ferUle soil, especially on rich bottomlands and along njountain streams. Also grows on rather rocky and sterile mountain slopes. Frequent on abandoned charcoal hearths and mud-dams found near ore mines. IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES—The real importance of the Common Locust Is somewhat in doubt. It produces excellent wood and grows rapidly in some localities especially where It is free from enemies. Two insects, known as Locust Borer and Locust I^af M;"«f. «"f " fungus known as the Jx,cust Hot (Fomes rimosus), are doing enormoiis d^;"«S« ^^,,;^'f/^^^ locally, m regions where these enemies are wanting and where suitable soil and c'mate^rc at hand it may be advisable to plant this tree especially when posts, poles, or ties are desired. A large quantUy of wood is being profitably disposed of in the forests of southern Pennsylvania for the manufacture of insulator pins. During the World War ^f"«--,- """7',,t"ve' for this wood for the purpose of manufacturing tree nails used in ship-building. It has very attractive flowers which nwy appear before, with, or after the leaves. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

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