Black Locust

Description

view of upper canopy of black locust tree.

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia /Fabaceae). The genus Robinia contains approximately 10 species that grow naturally in eastern North America and Mexico. Robinia pseudoacacia grows from the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania south to northern Georgia to eastern Oklahoma. Robinia pseudoacacia trees reach heights of 100 ft with diameters of 3 ft. Robinia pseudoacacia sapwood is off-white and the heartwood color can be a greenish yellow to a deep dark red brown. The wood of Robinia pseudoacacia is very dense and brittle with a strong decay resistance. Black Locust is extremely strong and hard, like Hickory, but is hard to work with hand tools. It is used in fencing, furniture, insulator pins, long bows, mine timbers, and treenails for ships.

Tech Sheet

https://research.fs.usda.gov/silvics/black-locust

Branch of black locust tree with blossoms.

Characteristics

Characteristics found in the Locust, Black (Robinia pseudoacacia)

  • Ring porous
  • Coalesced/Confluent parenchyma
  • Tyloses
  • Spirals in vessels
  • Simple perforations
  • I/V pits medium (8-12)
  • Rays 1-8 seriate & homocellular to heterocellular
  • Crystals in rays and axial parenchyma

Slides (Click on each image to view a larger image)

WOOD SLIDES

Microscope slide of transverse section of black locust wood. Arrows point to the growth ring boundary latewood and earlywood.
Microscope slide of transverse section of black locust wood. Arrows point to Lakewood vessels fibers tylosis and rays.
Microscope slide of transverse section of black locust wood. Arrows point to earlywood vessels the growth ring boundary fibers and latewood vessels.
Microscope slide of transverse section of black locust wood under higher magnification. Arrows identify fibers latewood vessels and confluent parenchyma.
Microscope slide of radial section of black locust wood arrows identify vessels rays fibers and tyloses.
Microscope slide of radial section of black locust wood. Arrows identify ray, ray vessel pits, and vessels.
Microscope slide of tangential section of black locust wood. Arrows identify the rays, inter-vessel pits, and tyloses.
Microscope slide of tangential and of black locust wood. Arrows point to axial parenchyma, rays, and fibers.
Microscope slide of tangential section of black locust wood under higher magnification. Arrows identify rays, axial parenchyma, and fibers.
Microscope slide of tangential section of black locust wood under higher magnification. Arrows identify the ray, axial parenchyma, and crystals.

CHARCOAL SLIDES

Microscope slide of radial surface of black locust charcoal. Arrows identify vessels and rays.
Microscope slide of radial surface of black locust charcoal arrows identify vassal centric type parenchyma.
Microscope slide of radial surface of black locust charcoal. Arrows identify the location of the rays.
Microscope slide of radial surface of black locust charcoal. Arrows identify the rays and vessels
Microscope slide of tangential surface of black locust wood. Arrows identify a vessel and exploded rays.
Microscope slide of transverse section of black locust charcoal. Arrows identify the growth ring boundaries.
Microscope slide of transverse section of black locust charcoal. Arrows identify repeating growth ring boundaries rays and vessels.