Forest Trees of Texas: How to Know ThemMattoon, Wilbur R. (Wilbur Reed)
Science
Forest Trees of Texas: How to Know Them
Mattoon, Wilbur R. (Wilbur Reed)
Trees -- Identification; Trees -- Texas
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.
[Illustration: HONEY MESQUITE (One-fourth natural size)]
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.
[Illustration: EASTERN REDBUD (Twig, two-thirds natural size; fruit and
leaf, one-third natural size)]
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.
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