Gleditsia triacanthos
Honey locust
Gleditsia triacanthos or honey locust is a deciduous tree, of the legume family, native to North America. It produces pinnate leaves, fragrant greenish yellowish flowers and pods. The tree can regenerate from roots and stumps. Because the leaflets are small, a honey locust casts dappled shade. The seeds are dispersed by grazing herbivores. The seeds germinate on scarification or exposure to acid, insults that would occur on the passage through an animal's digestive system.
The lower branches bear extremely sharp thorns. A Native American legend is that the Thunder Spirit recognized his son by his ability to sit comfortably on locust branches. Modern scientist speculate that the thorns evolved as a defense mechanism against Pleistocene megafauna, because they seem to be overkill in the current ecology.
Native Americans used the pulp as an emergency food. However the toxicity level has not been fully investigated. It must be remembered that Native Americans often operated under conditions of scarcity that justified a higher risk level than is appropriate for conditions of abundance. Honey locust produces a high quality, durable wood that polishes well, but the tree does not grow in sufficient numbers to support a bulk industry. However a niche market exists for honey locust furniture.
|
|
