248. CHINABERRY (_Melia azederach_ L.) a familiar cultivated tree
occasionally escaped from cultivation; a native of China much planted
for shade in the southern states; sometimes found in remote woods where
birds must have dropped the seeds. Leaves: alternate, twice-pinnately
compound, dark green above, margins of leaflets often shallowly lobed or
wavy. Twigs: thick, upright, dark. Bark: dark, somewhat smooth on
branches. Flowers: lavender, in large, loose clusters on wood of the
previous year, scented, in April or May. Fruit: Opaque, yellow, size of
marbles, remaining into winter. Wood: light and brittle, color resembles
mahogany but the grain is much coarser and does not polish well. I (p.
353.)
[Illustration: 248 chinaberry]