Shrubs or trees, 1.5–4(–12) m; branches glandular, glands usu­ally sessile, sometimes stipi­tate. Leaves 10–20 cm; stip­ules 3–6 mm; petiole 0.7–2 cm, with sessile glands, sometimes glands stipitate; axis glandular, glands usually sessile, sometimes stipitate; petiolules 1–2 mm, glabrate; leaf­lets 13–25, blades elliptic, 20–42 × 10–20 mm, surfaces sericeous abaxially, glabrate adaxially. Racemes 10–20-flowered, lax to ascending, 4–10 cm, rachis sericeous or hispid; bracts oblanceolate to obovate, 10–15 × 3–5 mm, margins 1–several-toothed (when 1, then with long-attenuate central tooth). Pedicels 3–6 mm. Flowers: calyx tube 4–5 mm, sericeous, lobes 4–5 mm; corolla pinkish, 20–25 mm. Legumes rarely forming, dark brownish to purplish, 4–6 × 0.8–1 cm, glandular-hispid. Seeds 4–9.

Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat: Open or disturbed areas, temperate deciduous forests, roadsides.
Elevation: 0–1600 m.

Distribution

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Open or disturbed areas, temperate deciduous forests, roadsides, N.B., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Ala., Conn., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Robinia viscosa can be distinguished from other predominantly pinkish-petaled species by having glands while lacking a hispid indument, often in combination with leaves having more than 13 leaflets.

Robinia viscosa appears to be native in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia (D. Isely 1998), and should be considered introduced in other areas.

D. Isely and F. J. Peabody (1984) and Isely (1998) distinguished two varieties of R. viscosa: var. viscosa with flat, sessile glands on young growth and inflorescences, and glabrous; and var. hartwigii without flat, sessile glands, and densely glandular-pubescent.

Nothospecies based on putative hybrids involving Robinia viscosa and R. hispida (R. × ashei Schallert, R. × longiloba Ashe) are found in North Carolina and South Carolina; those involving R. viscosa and R. pseudoacacia (R. × ambigua Poiret) are found in western North Carolina.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.