Black Locust

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.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/TechSheets/HardwoodNA/pdf_files/robpseudeng.pdf.

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

WOOD SLIDES
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CHARCOAL SLIDES