Honey Locust

Gleditsia triacanthos L. Sp. PI. 1056. 1753
Gleditsia spinosa Marsh, Arbust. Am. 54. 1785.
Gleditsia meliloba Walt. Fl. Car. 254. 1788.
Gleditsia elegans SaXish. Viodi. i22. 19b.
Gleditsia triacanthos brachycarpos Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2; 257. 1803.
Gleditsia ferox Desf. Hist. Arb. 2: 247. 1809.
Gleditsia polysperma Stokes, Bot. Mat. Med. 1: 228. 1812,
Gleditsia brachycarpa Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 221. 1814.
Gleditsia heterophylla Raf. Fl. Ludov. 99. 1817.
Melilobus heterophylla Raf. Sylva Tell. 121. 1838.
Caesalpinioides triacanthum Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 167. 1891.
A tree, up to about 50 m. high, with a trunk 2 m. in diameter, usually armed with many branching or simple thorns. Leaves 1-2-pirmate; leaflets oblong-lanceolate to oval, obtuse, 15-3 cm. long, crenulate; racemes 7-12 cm. long, those of pistillate trees longer than those of staminate; calyx-lobes 4-5 mm. long, the petals a little longer; legume 0.7-4 dm. long, 2.5-3.5 cm. wide, more or less twisted in age, pubescent or glabrate, sweet-pulpy within, edible; seeds numerous or few, about S mm. long.
Type locality: Virginia.
Distribution: Ontari to Michigan, Georgia and Texas.