Genus 32. CÉRCIS.
Small trees or shrubs, with alternate, simple, heart-shaped leaves. Flowers in umbel-like clusters along the branches, appearing before the leaves, and shaped like pea-blossoms. Fruit pea-like pods, remaining on the tree throughout the year. Wood hard, heavy, and beautifully blotched or waved with black, green, and yellow, on a gray ground.
C. Canadénsis.
1. Cércis Canadénsis, L. (Judas-tree. Redbud.) Leaves acutely pointed, smooth, dark green, glossy. Flowers bright red-purple. Pods nearly sessile, 3 to 4 in. long, brown when ripe in August. A small ornamental tree, 10 to 30 ft. high, with smooth bark and hard apple-tree-like wood; wild from Central New York southward, and often cultivated.
2. Cércis siliquástrum (European Judas-tree.), from Europe, with obtusely pointed, somewhat kidney-shaped leaves, and white to purple flowers, is sometimes cultivated. It is not so tall or tree-like as the American species.
Genus 33. GYMNÓCLADUS.
Tall trees with alternate, very large (2 to 4 ft. long), unequally twice-pinnate leaves. Flowers white, conspicuous, in racemes at the ends of the branches. Fruit a large pea-like pod. Some trees are without fruit through the abortion of the pistils.
G. Canadénsis.