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Cladrastis kentukea, theKentucky yellowwoodorAmerican yellowwood(syn.C. lutea,C. tinctoria), is a species ofCladrastisnative to theSoutheastern United States, with a restricted range from westernNorth Carolinawest to easternOklahoma, and from southernMissouriandIndianasouth to centralAlabama. Also the tree is sometimes calledVirgilia.[2]
Cladrastis kentukeais a small to medium-sizeddeciduoustreetypically growing 10–15 metres (33–49ft) tall, exceptionally to 27 metres (89ft) tall, with a broad, rounded crown and smooth graybark. Theleavesare compound pinnate, 20–30cm long, with 5-11 (mostly 7-9) alternately arranged leaflets, each leaflet broad ovate with an acute apex, 6–13cm long and 3–7cm broad, with an entire margin and a thinly to densely hairy underside. In the fall, the leaves turn a mix of yellow, gold, and orange.
Theflowersare fragrant, white, produced inWisteria-likeracemes15–30cm long. Flowering is in early summer (June in its native region), and is variable from year to year, with heavy flowering every second or third year. Thefruitis apod5–8cm long, containing 2-6 seeds.
Bark: Smooth gray, or light brown. Branchlets at first downy, but soon become smooth, light yellowish green; later red brown, finally dark brown.Wood: Yellow to pale brown; heavy, hard, close-grained and strong. Sp. gr., 0.6278; weight of cu. ft., 39.12lbs.Winter buds: Four in a group, making a tiny cone and inclosed in the hollow base of the petiole.Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, eight to twelve inches long, main stem stout, enlarged at base. Leaflets seven to eleven, broadly oval, three to four inches long. Wedge-shaped at base, entire, acute, terminal leaflets rhomboid-ovate. Feather-veined, midrib and primary veins prominent, grooved above, light yellow beneath. They come out the bud pale green, downy; when full grown are dark green above, pale beneath. In autumn they turn a bright clear yellow.Flowers: June. Perfect, papilionaceous, white, borne in drooping terminal panicles twelve to fourteen inches long, five to six inches broad, slightly fragrant.Calyx: Campanulate, five-lobed, enlarged on the upper side.Corolla: Papilinaceous; standard broad, white, marked on the inner surface with a pale yellow blotch; wings oblong; keel petals free.Stamens: Ten, free; filaments thread-like.Pistil: Ovary superior, linear, bright red, hairy, bearing a long incurved style.Fruit: Legume, smooth, linear-compressed, tipped with the remnants of the styles. Seeds four to six, dark brown.[2]
