Robinia

Robinia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, tribe Robinieae, native to North America. Commonly known as locusts,[1] 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.

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

8–10; see text

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,[2] while others recognise up to 10 species. Several natural hybrids are also known.

Some species of Robinia are used as food by caterpillars 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 Gracillariidae leaf miners like Chrysaster ostensackenella, Macrosaccus robiniella and Parectopa robiniella.

Toxicity

All species produce in all parts toxic lectins, with the exception of the flowers.[3][4] The flowers are used in teas and in pancakes,[5] and are consumed as fritters in many parts of Europe.[6][7][8][9]

Species

* not accepted as distinct by all authorities

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". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  2. "Robinia". LegumeWeb. International Legume Database & Information Service.
  3. Poisonous Plants List. Ivydene Horticultural Services.
  4. Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants. 2. Auflage. Springer, 2006. ISBN 0-387-31268-4, S. 33.
  5. "Acacia flowers—a potent cough mixture". European Union Development Fund. Archived from the original on 2014-11-22. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
  6. "Acacia flower fritters". Morrison, Médoc, France.
  7. "Frittelle di Fiori d'Acacia (Black Locust Flower Pancakes)". Cooking and traveling in Italy.
  8. "ACACIA FLOWER FRITTERS". Tatty Apron.
  9. "Riaperta la stagione della cacia". Unazebrapois.
  10. E. Koehne. 1913. Eine neue Robinie
  11. R. viscosa var. hartwegii. ITIS.
  12. "Robinia viscosa var. hartwigii". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  13. 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" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 28 (2): 387–409. doi:10.1043/0363-6445-28.2.387.
  • Data related to Robinia at Wikispecies
  • Media related to Robinia at Wikimedia Commons
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