gleditschia Bot.
(glɛˈdɪtʃ(ɪ)ə)
Also gleditsia, gleditzia.
[mod.L. (C. Linnæus Genera Plantarum (ed. 2, 1742) 480), f. the name of J. G. Gleditsch (1714–1786), a German botanist + -ia1.]
An ornamental tree of the genus so called, belonging to the family Leguminosæ, and including the honey locust tree of North America.
| 1770 R. Weston Univ. Botanist I. 116 Gleditsia of Java. 1838 J. C. Loudon Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum II. 650 The three-thorned gleditschia, or honey locust, in favourable situations in its native country, attains the height of 70 ft. or 80 ft. 1855 A. M. Murray Let. 7 May (1856) II. xxv. 157 A stream..bordered by..gleditzias, cedars, sweet and black gum-trees. 1905 C. S. Sargent Man. Trees N. Amer. 556 Gleditsia is confined to eastern North America..south-western Asia, China, Japan, and west tropical Africa. 1914 W. J. Bean Trees & Shrubs Hardy in Brit. Isles I. 594 No Gleditschia has any beauty of blossom, the flowers being small, green, and borne in racemes a few inches long. 1957 M. Hadfield Brit. Trees 360 Locust is a name given in North America both to trees of the genus Robinia and to the rather similar Gleditsia. |