Robinia

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Robinia
Robinia pseudoacacia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Robinieae
Genus: Robinia
L.
Species

8–10; see text

Wikispecies has information related to: Robinia
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robinia.

Robinia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, native to North America and northern Mexico. Commonly known as "locusts", they are deciduous trees and shrubs growing 4–25 metres (13–82 ft) tall. The leaves are pinnate with 7–21 oval leaflets. The flowers are white or pink, in usually pendulous racemes. Many species have thorny shoots, and several have sticky hairs on the shoots.

The genus is named after the royal French gardeners Jean Robin and his son Vespasien Robin, who introduced the plant to Europe in 1601.

The number of species is disputed between different authorities, with as few as four recognised by some authors,[1] while others recognise up to ten species. There are also several natural hybrids.

Some species of Robinia are used as food by larvae of Lepidoptera, including such moths as the Brown-tail (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), the Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala), the Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia), the Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia), the Locust Underwing (Euparthenos nubilis), and Chrysaster ostensackenella.

Toxicity

All species produce in all parts toxic lectins.[2][3]

Species

(*: not accepted as distinct by all authorities)

  • Robinia boyntonii *
  • Robinia elliottii *
  • Robinia hartwigii[4] * (syn. R. viscosa var. hartwegii[5] or hartwigii[6])
  • Robinia hispida – bristly locust
  • Robinia kelseyi *
  • Robinia luxurians *
  • Robinia nana *
  • Robinia neomexicana – New Mexican locust
  • Robinia pseudoacacia – black locust, false acacia
  • Robinia viscosa – clammy locust
  • †Robinia zirkelii[7]

Hybrids

  • Robinia × ambigua (R. pseudoacacia × R. viscosa) – Idaho locust
  • Robinia × holdtii (R. neomexicana × R. pseudoacacia)
  • Robinia × longiloba (R. hispida × R. viscosa)
  • Robinia × margarettiae (R. hispida × R. pseudoacacia)

References

  1. ↑ "Robinia". LegumeWeb. International Legume Database & Information Service. 
  2. ↑ Poisonous Plants List. Ivydene Horticultural Services.
  3. ↑ Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants. 2. Auflage. Springer, 2006. ISBN 0-387-31268-4, S. 33.
  4. ↑ E. Koehne. 1913. Eine neue Robinie.
  5. ↑ R. viscosa var. hartwegii. ITIS.
  6. ↑ R. viscosa var. hartwigii. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
  7. ↑ Lavin M, Wojciechowski MF, Gasson P, Hughes C, Wheeler E. (2003). "Phylogeny of Robinioid Legumes (Fabaceae) Revisited: Coursetia and Gliricidia Recircumscribed, and a Biogeographical Appraisal of the Caribbean Endemics.". Systematic Botany 28 (2): 387–409. 
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