Cladrastis lutea (Michx.) K.Koch

  • Authority

    Isely, Duane. 1981. Leguminosae of the United States. III. Subfamily Papilionoideae: tribes Sophoreae, Podalyrieae, Loteae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (3): 1-264.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cladrastis lutea (Michx.) K.Koch

  • Description

    Species Description - Glabrate, smooth-barked tree 15-20 m. Leafstalk 1-1.5 dm; leaflets (5-)7-9, petioluled 2-5 mm, alternate, ovate, obovate or elliptic, acute or acuminate, 420 cm, 1-2 r, larger distally; terminal leaflets 4.5-8 cm wide, glabrous above, glabrate below (-incumbent villosulous). Stipules and stipels absent. Flowers 1.8-2.4 cm, in pendent, terminal panicles or racemes; bracts inevident, deciduous. Pedicels 1-1.5 cm, often flexuous, ebracteolate. Calyx-hypanthium short-cam-panulate, 7-8.5 mm, basally tapering, puberulent; hypanthium ca. 2.5 mm; lobes 1.5-2 mm, subequal. Corolla white (-pink); standard suborbicular to rhombic, cuneate or basally lobed. Pistil stipitate ca. 5 mm; ovary 6-7 mm, straight, laterally compressed, pubescent; ovules 8-13; style ± ovary. Legume persistent through season, pendent, oblong or irregularly lomentaceous, flat, 3-8 cm x 811 mm. Seeds 1-6, large, ca. 7 mm.

  • Discussion

    Virgilio lútea Michx. f. (1813); Cladrastis lútea (Michx. f.) Koch (1869). Sophora kentukea Dum.-Cour. (1811); V. kentukensis (Dum.-Cour.) Raf. (1825); C. kentukensis (Dum.-Cour.) Jacks. (1895) pro syn.; C. kentukea (Dum.-Cour.) Rudd (1971). V. alba Raf. (1822). C. fragrans Raf. (1824). C. tinctoria Raf. (1825). C. albiflora Raf. (1836). C. lútea fma tomentosa Steyerm. (1938). Cladrastis lutea is characterized by its alternate leaflets, pendent panicles of white (or cv rosea, pink) flowers followed by flat pods. It has no close relatives in North America, and is not likely to be confused with anything else. Its natural distribution, though primarily of the southern Appalachians and the Arkansas-Missouri Ozarks, includes scattered relic stations elsewhere. Duncan’s (1948) distributional map, purporting to represent the range of C. lutea, is of the southeastern portion only. In nature, Cladrastis lutea is evidently nowhere frequent. In culture, it is a lovely ornamental tree but not commonly planted.

  • Distribution

    S Indiana to ne Oklahoma, se to c Alabama and n Georgia; cult in e and c states beyond natural range. Rich woods, n slopes, ravines, river bluffs; commonly limestone soils, local. ?-4000 ft. May-June. Yellow-wood.

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