Part 6

Two other species of mimosa are found in Texas: L. pulverulenta (Schlect.) Benth., found above the mouth of the Rio Grande; and L. retusa Benth., in Jeff Davis, Kimble, Real, Uvalde, and Valverde Counties.

HONEY MESQUITE Prosopis juliflora var. glandulosa (Torr.) Cockerell

This well-known small tree is found in the central and western part of the state. The short trunk, usually only 6 to 8 inches in diameter, divides into many branches forming a loose, open top or crown.

The root system is very large, consisting of a thick taproot sometimes extending downward to a depth of 30 to 40 feet, with many radiating roots.

The LEAVES are pinnately compound, consisting of 12 to 20 leaflets attached along a central rachis, or “stem”, 8 to 10 inches long. The leaflets are often 2 inches long, smooth, dark green, and pointed. Near their bases are small spines.

The fragrant FLOWERS are tiny and in clusters (spikes) from 2 to 4 inches long. The FRUIT is a pod about 4 to 9 inches, narrowed between each of the 10 to 20 seeds enclosed in a thick sweet pulp, used by the natives as food and eagerly sought by wildlife and livestock.

The WOOD is heavy, hard, and dark reddish-brown in color. It is much used for fuel and, because it is durable in the ground, for fence posts.

Mesquite has long been designated as P. juliflora (Sw.) D.C., with the varieties glandulosa (Torr.) Cockerell and velutina (Woot.) Sarg. found in Texas.

WESTERN HONEY MESQUITE (P. juliflora var. torreyana L. Benson) occurs in southern and Trans-Pecos regions of Texas. This species is usually a shrub or sometimes a small tree.

EASTERN REDBUD Cercis canadensis L.

Eastern Redbud, sometimes called Judas-tree from its oriental relative of that name, is a small tree scattered through the woods of East Texas to the Brazos River. It attains a height of 25 to 50 feet and a diameter of 6 to 12 inches. Its stout branches usually form a wide flat head.

The BARK of the trunk is divided into long narrow plates, the bright red-brown surface separating into thin scales.

The LEAVES are alternate, heart-shaped, entire, 3 to 5 inches long and wide, glossy green, turning a bright clear yellow in autumn.

The conspicuous, bright purplish-red FLOWERS are in clusters along the twigs and small branches, and appear before or with the leaves in early spring.

The FRUIT is an oblong, flattened, many-seeded pod, 2 to 4 inches long, reddish during the summer and often hanging on the tree through the following summer.

The WOOD is heavy, hard, not strong, rich dark brown in color, and of little commercial importance. The redbud is cultivated as an ornamental tree and for that purpose might be more generally planted in this state.

Several varieties of Cercis canadensis have been described in Texas.

HONEYLOCUST Gleditsia triacanthos L.

Honeylocust occurs naturally in the eastern part of the state to the Brazos River. It grows under a wide variety of soil and moisture conditions and is a popular tree for planting in the drier portions of Texas. It reaches a diameter of 30 inches and a height of 75 feet. The BARK on old trees is dark gray and is divided into thin, tight scales. The strong, straight or branched, brown, sharp and shiny thorns, which grow on the 1-year-old wood and remain for many years, are sufficient to identify the honeylocust.

The LEAF is pinnate or feather-like, with 18 to 28 leaflets; or it is bi-pinnate, consisting of 4 to 7 pairs of pinnae, each 6 to 8 inches long.

The FRUIT, a 10 to 18 inch pod, is often twisted, 1 to 1½ inches wide, flat, dark brown or black when ripe, and contains a yellow sweetish pulp and dark brown seeds. The seeds are hard and separated by pulp. The pods are eaten by many animals, and as the seeds are hard to digest, many are widely scattered from the parent tree.

The WOOD is coarse-grained, hard, strong, and moderately durable in contact with the ground.

Honeylocust is a good tree to substitute for the black locust which has been almost exterminated in West Texas by the locust borer.

TEXAS HONEYLOCUST (G. texana Sarg.), found in the Brazos River bottomlands, is reported to be a hybrid between G. triacanthos and G. aquatica.

WATERLOCUST Gleditsia aquatica Marsh.

In river bottoms and swamps along the Gulf Coast to the Brazos River and north to Arkansas is found the waterlocust, a close relative of the well-known black locust. It can be distinguished by the small pod having one seed, rarely two or three.

The waterlocust reaches a height of 60 feet and diameter up to 3 feet. The trunk is usually short, dividing into several spreading, and often distorted, branches. The branchlets have sharp spines from 3 to 5 inches in length, dark red and shiny.

The pinnately compound LEAVES are 5 to 8 inches long with 12 to 20 leaflets arranged on opposite sides of the leaf rachis. Each leaflet is an inch or so in length, oblong, sometimes slightly toothed on the edge, dull green or yellow-green above and dark green on the lower surface.

The FLOWERS appear in small clusters of green flowers on purple pedicels in a raceme 3 to 4 inches long, and grow from the axil of the leaf rachis and twig. The flowers bloom well after the leaves are out. The FRUIT pods hang in graceful racemes. The pods are 1 inch wide and 1 to 2 inches long, thin walled, tough, papery, chestnut brown, and shiny. The SEEDS are flattened, nearly round, about ½ inch wide, and orange-brown.

The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, light reddish-brown, and surrounded by a wide band of clear yellow sapwood.

BLACK LOCUST (Yellow Locust) Robinia pseudoacacia L.

Black locust is not native to Texas, so far as known, but has been widely planted here and has escaped from cultivation. Black locust requires deep, well-drained, moist soil for good growth. It grows indifferently to poorly on well-drained, dry sites. Of late years it has been severely damaged by the locust borer and is no longer recommended for planting in pure stands.

The twigs and branchlets are armed with paired, straight or slightly curved, sharp, strong spines, sometimes as much as 1 inch in length, which remain attached to the outer bark for many years.

The LEAVES are pinnate, or feather-like, from 6 to 10 inches long, with 7 to 19 oblong, thin leaflets.

The FLOWERS are fragrant, white or cream-colored, and appear in graceful pendant racemes.

The FRUIT is a pod from 3 to 5 inches long containing 4 to 8 small hard seeds which ripen late in the fall. The pod splits open during the winter, discharging most of the seeds. Some seeds usually remain attached to each half of the pod.

The WOOD is yellow, coarse-grained, heavy, very hard, strong, and durable in contact with the soil. It is used extensively for fence posts, poles, tree nails, insulator pins, and occasionally for lumber and fuel.

HERCULES-CLUB (Prickly-Ash) Zanthoxylum clava-herculis L.

This tree is a native of East Texas and ranges westerly to the valley of the Colorado River and northward to Dallas and Tarrant Counties, and to some extent to the Rio Grande Valley. It is a small tree, seldom over 30 feet in height, with a short trunk usually under 1 foot in diameter. It seems to prefer a well-drained, light, sandy soil, and is often found growing on bluffs near rivers.

The BARK is the most characteristic feature of this tree. It is gray, and with numerous corky tubercles. The aromatic inner bark, with its strong pungent juice, has given this tree a number of local names, such as “tingle-tongue”, and “toothache tree.” The inner bark was a favorite in old-time home remedies for the relief of toothache.

The LEAVES are compound, 5 to 8 inches long, with 7 to 17 ovate, toothed, bright green leaflets.

The small, pale green FLOWERS, borne in loose, wide-branched cymes, 4 to 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, bloom in early spring when the leaves are almost half grown. The small FRUIT, a one-seeded carpel, ripens in early summer. The seeds hang outside the carpels and are eaten by birds.

The soft, light brown WOOD has no special known value.

A variety, fruiticosum (A. Gray) S. Wats., is a shrubby form found in West Texas. It has short, often 3-foliate, pubescent leaves and blunt, leathery leaflets.

COMMON HOPTREE (Wafer-Ash) Ptelea trifoliata L.

This small tree or large shrub is found scattered over the eastern portion of the state. The bark and leaves are bitter and strong-scented and possess tonic qualities.

The hoptree has a straight, slender trunk 6 to 8 inches in diameter and seldom reaches a height of more than 20 feet.

The LEAVES are composed of 3 leaflets, sometimes 5, each of which is oval or pear-shaped and pointed, about 4 to 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, and dark green on the upper surface. The central leaflet is the largest.

The FRUIT consists of a small, round, 2-seeded, winged “key” or “samara”, resembling somewhat the familiar paper caps for toy pistols. The seeds occur in dense drooping clusters and hang on the tree over winter.

The WOOD is heavy, hard, yellowish-brown, and close-grained. The shrub is often planted as an ornamental.

SHINING SUMAC (Dwarf or Flameleaf Sumac) Rhus copallina L.

Shining sumac is found growing naturally west to the San Antonio River. It is more commonly a shrub than a tree and grows in clumps and thickets around the edges of the fields and in other open places. The leaves turn crimson in the fall and add a vivid note to the autumn coloring. The tree spreads by means of shallow root-runners.

The BARK is almost smooth, with horizontal splashes of light and dark gray, and many small excrescences. This papery outer bark cracks at irregular intervals, exposing spots of reddish-brown beneath.

The compound LEAVES are alternate, 6 to 8 inches long, with 9 to 21 small ovate-lanceolate leaflets, glossy green above, downy beneath. This sumac is easily distinguished from others by the fact that the leaf rachis is winged. The leaves are rich in tannin, and are used in large quantities for curing leather, and for the manufacture of dyes.

The tiny, pale green FLOWERS are borne in compact conical, panicles in July. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees. The small FRUIT is red, covered with short hairs, and has an acid taste. The fruits cling, and are eaten by birds in late winter.

The reddish-brown WOOD is soft, light, and coarse-grained.

PRAIRIE SUMAC (R. lanceolata [A. Gray] Britton) is found on the prairies of eastern Texas to the valley of the Rio Grande, often forming thickets on the banks of small streams. This species is distinguished by its narrow, acute leaflets and its larger flowers and fruit.

POISON-SUMAC Toxicodendron vernix (L.) Kountze

All parts of this beautiful plant give off toxic oils that may irritate and blister the skin like the oils of poison ivy. Poison-sumac may grow as a shrub with several clustered stems, or as a tree occasionally 25 feet high with a trunk 5 to 6 inches in diameter. The slender, smooth branchlets are at first reddish-brown with orange-colored lenticels, later becoming light gray and marked with elevated and conspicuous leaf-scars.

The compound, alternate LEAVES are quite different from those of other sumacs, shaped more like those of ash, for which reason it is often called “poison ash.” The leaf-stems are always reddish, and usually quite conspicuous. The leaves are 7 to 14 inches long, with 7 to 13 ovate-oblong leaflets, 3 to 4 inches long. The leaflets are bright green above, paler beneath, usually with a red midrib.

The small FLOWERS are borne in panicles much less compact than those of other sumacs. The FRUIT is a lustrous white drupe, born in slender, drooping panicles. The fruit matures in September and is eaten by birds and rabbits. The sap can be used to make a black, durable varnish.

AMERICAN HOLLY Ilex opaca Ait.

American holly is found on rich, moist soils of bottomlands in East Texas and westward to Wilson County. A tree often 50 feet high, frequently attains heights of 80 to 100 feet and diameters up to 4 feet. A large specimen may be seen at the Texas Forest Service’s Indian Mound Nursery near Alto.

The BARK is light gray and roughened by wart-like growths. The numerous, short, slender branches form a dense pyramidal head of striking dark green color which is more pronounced when the conspicuous red drupes are present.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, rather oval, thick and leathery, 2 to 4 inches long and usually armed with spiny teeth. They remain on the branches three years, dropping off in the spring.

The FLOWERS are small and whitish; male and female flowers are usually borne on separate trees. The FRUIT, ripening late in the fall on the trees bearing female flowers, is dull red or sometimes yellow, round or somewhat oval-shaped berry-like drupe about ¼ inch in diameter and with 4 to 6 grooved, ribbed nutlets.

The WOOD is light, tough, not strong, white when cut, turning brown when aged. Valued and much used for cabinet making, interior finish, and turnery. Many of the largest and best holly trees have been cut and marketed.

Holly is a highly desirable Christmas decoration and a desirable ornamental tree for yards. Wild holly is becoming scarce. Excessive cuttings should be avoided.

YAUPON Ilex vomitoria Ait.

This close relative of the American holly is found in East Texas to Matagorda Bay, Rio Blanco and the Guadalupe River, and north to southern Arkansas. On the rich bottomlands of eastern Texas, yaupon is a small tree, 20 to 25 feet high with a trunk rarely over 6 inches in diameter; elsewhere it is a shrub.

The LEAVES are 1 to 2 inches long, ¼ to 1 inch wide, thick, glossy green above, paler below, and persistent for 2 or 3 years.

The FLOWERS, male and female, are borne on separate plants. The FRUIT, a scarlet berry-like drupe, is produced in great abundance by the female plant.

The WOOD is of little value except for fuel.

Yaupon is used in the South as a hedge plant, and is much prized for Christmas decorations. A tea made from leaves was once popular with the Indians. The plant is now grown on the Atlantic Coast for the commercial production of yaupon tea for medicinal purposes.

I. decidua Walt. known as POSSUM HAW (WINTER BERRY) is similar to yaupon, but the leaves shed in the fall; the fruits, which remain over winter, are orange to orange-scarlet in color.

SILVER MAPLE Acer saccharinum L.

Silver, or soft, maple is found on moist land and along streams in the extreme eastern part of the state. In its best region of growth, the valley of the lower Ohio River, it attains heights of 100 feet or more and diameters of 3 feet or over.

The BARK on old trunks is dark gray and broken into long flakes or scales. The twigs are slender, brittle, reddish-brown, and shiny.

The buds are rounded, red or reddish-brown, blunt-pointed, generally like those of red maple.

The simple, opposite LEAVES have from 3 to 5 lobes ending in long points with toothed margins and separated by deep angular sinuses or openings; the leaves are pale green on the upper surface, silvery-white underneath, and have a red petiole.

The FLOWERS arising from the large prominent flower buds are a greenish-yellow color and appear in clusters in the spring before the leaves. The FRUIT ripens in the spring and consists of a pair of wing samaras or “keys” with wings 1 to 2 inches long on a slender, flexible, thread-like peduncle about an inch long.

The WOOD is soft, weak, even-textured, rather brittle, easily worked, and decays readily when exposed. It is occasionally used for flooring, furniture and fuel.

The silver maple grows rapidly and has been planted in Texas as a shade tree. It is somewhat undesirable because of its brittleness and susceptibility to insects and fungus diseases.

RED MAPLE Acer rubrum L.

Red maple is abundant in low moist areas in the eastern part of the state. It is usually a medium-sized tree, quick-growing, and relatively short-lived. It is used as a shade tree, though of inferior quality for this purpose. The BARK is smooth and light gray on young limbs and trunks, and dark gray and rough on old limbs and trunks.

The LEAVES are 2 to 5 inches long and have from 3 to 5 pointed, saw-toothed lobes separated by sharp angular sinuses or openings. The upper leaf surface when mature is light green, the lower surface whitish and partly covered with pale down. In autumn the leaves turn to brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow.

The red FLOWERS appear in dense clusters in early spring before the leaves, the buds turning a deep red sometimes before they open. The winter buds are small, red, and round or blunt-pointed. The FRUIT ripens in the late spring or early summer. It consists of pairs of winged samaras, or keys, ½ to 1 inch in length, on a long drooping peduncle (fruit stem), red, reddish-brown, or yellow in color.

The WOOD, known commercially as soft maple, is heavy, close-grained, rather weak, and of a light brown color. It is used in the manufacture of furniture, and for turnery, woodenware, and fuel.

BOXELDER Acer negundo L.

Boxelder, the only Texas maple with compound leaves, is a native of eastern and southern Texas to the lower Rio Blanco River. It is generally found on the banks of streams and lakes and the borders of swamps. It grows rapidly, making a quick shade, and is quite shapely. The branches are brittle and break easily. The tree is short-lived and rather subject to disease. It sometimes attains a height of 50 to 60 feet, with a trunk 2 feet in diameter, but is usually smaller.

The BARK of the twigs is green; of the trunk grayish-brown, divided into broad, rounded ridges, and separating on the surface into short, thick scales.

The LEAVES are opposite, compound, usually with 5 leaflets, occasionally 3 or 7. The leaflets are 2 to 4 inches long, coarsely and irregularly toothed, light green above, paler beneath.

The tiny FLOWERS are borne in drooping clusters. The FRUIT is like that of the other maples, green, turning light tan when mature. Unlike the seeds of other maples, they cling until after the leaves are shed.

The WOOD is creamy-white, light, and soft and weak but close-grained. It is sometimes used in other states for the manufacture of low grade furniture and interior finish; it is also used for woodenware, cooperage, and paper pulp.

OHIO BUCKEYE Aesculus glabra Willd.

Ohio buckeye occurs as far west as eastern Texas along streams in rich soils. Though often only a shrub, it becomes a medium-sized tree in rich alluvial bottoms. Its leaves and fruit are poisonous to stock.

The BARK is white and, on old trees, divided or broken into light brown flat scales, which make the stems of the tree rough; the bark is ill-smelling when bruised.

The LEAVES are opposite, palmately compounded, with 5 to 7 smooth, pale green leaflets, ill-smelling when bruised. The leaves usually turn yellow during the summer.

The FLOWERS are cream-colored and appear in clusters, 5 to 8 inches long, in April or May.

The FRUIT is generally rounded, pale brown, generally thin-walled, roughened with blunt prickles or warts, and breaking into 2 to 3 valves, disclosing the bright shiny seeds 1 to 1½ inches wide.

The WOOD is light, soft and weak, and decays rapidly when exposed. It is used for woodenware, artificial limbs, paper pulp, lumber, and fuel.

Aesculus pavia L., the RED BUCKEYE, is found as a shrub in Comal and Wilson Counties and is common through eastern Texas to Bexar and Kendall Counties, as a shrub 9 to 12 inches high. This species was formerly classified as A. discolor Parsh and A.d. var. Mollis (Raf.) Sarg.

WESTERN SOAPBERRY (Wild China-Tree) Sapindus drummondii Hook. Arn.

This species, sometimes called Indian soap plant, grows on moist clay soils or dry limestone uplands. It ranges through eastern Texas to New Mexico and the Rio Grande, becoming a tree 40 to 50 feet high and 1 to 2 feet in diameter, with usually erect branches, and branchlets at first slightly many-angled.

The BARK is broken by deep fissures into long narrow plates which in turn are broken on the surface into small red-brown scales.

The LEAVES appearing in March or April, bear 4 to 9 pairs of alternate, opposite or both, lance-shaped leaflets which are pale, yellow-green, about 2½ inches long and ½ to ⅔ inch wide. The leaves fall in autumn or early winter.

The FLOWERS are whitish, in large, dense panicles.

The FRUIT, round yellow berries, ½ inch in diameter, and containing dark brown seeds, ripen in September and October and fall in the spring.

The WOOD is heavy, strong, close-grained, light brown tinged with yellow. It splits easily into thin strips and is used for cotton basket and the frames of pack saddles.

AMERICAN BASSWOOD (American Linden) Tilia americana L.

Three species of basswood are reported to grow in Texas from the Arkansas line to the Brazos River and westward to Uvalde, Kerr and Bandera Counties, usually on rich, moist soils. They are rarely over 50 feet tall and 12 inches in diameter.

The BARK is light brown and deeply furrowed.

The LEAVES are more or less heart-shaped, 3 to 6 inches long, thin, saw-toothed, smooth on both sides in some species, but woolly on the under surface of others.

The fragrant FLOWERS, a favorite of bees, are yellowish-white, in drooping clusters opening in early summer, and the flower-stem is united to the middle of a long, narrow, leaf-like bract.

The FRUIT, a dry, 1 to 2-seeded nut-like drupe, ¼ to ½ inch in diameter, is covered with short, thick, gray-brown wool. It remains attached in clusters to the leafy bract, which later acts as a wing to bear the fruit away in the wind.