Bunduk

Family: Fabaceae. Name: derived from the Greek 'gymnos' - naked, 'Mados' - branch.

Description: contains only two species, one of which occurs in North America, the other in China. Deciduous trees with twice-pinnate large leaves, giving the crown an exotic appearance; with flowers gathered in paniculate or racemose inflorescences and with woody fruits up to 25 cm long. The North American species is used ornamentally in our region.

Tree up to 30 m tall, with a slender trunk and a luxuriant, when freely grown, rounded crown reaching 8 m in diameter. Bark on the trunks light gray, deeply fissured; on the shoots darker, with dense pubescence. Notable are the twice-pinnate leaves up to 1 m long, glabrous above, leathery, pinkish when unfolding, light green in summer, pale yellow in autumn. Leaves unfold later than those of other legume species. The plant is dioecious. Flowers small, yellowish-white, with a lemon scent. Male in terminal panicles up to 10 cm, female in longer terminal racemes up to 30 cm. Fruits dark, reddish-brown, leathery pods up to 20 cm long. Seeds large, flat, with a hard coat.

Grows rapidly, light-loving, moderately winter-hardy. Requires deep, fairly fertile fresh soil, tolerates urban conditions well. Propagated by seeds, root suckers, cuttings. Used as a beautiful, original tree in solitary and small-group plantings in parks and as avenues. In cultivation since 1818. Combines well with gleditsia, chestnuts, silver maple, oaks, ash, hornbeam and others.