Water Locust Tree
The Water Locust (G. aquatica, Marsh.) is a small, flattopped, irregular tree which grows best in the swamps just west of the lower Mississippi. It is found sparingly from South Carolina through the eastern Gulf States, and north as far as the Ohio River. The tree can easily be recognised by its brown polished thorns which are 3 to 5 inches long, pointed and stiff, and sometimes flattened, like the blade of a sword. The two lateral thorns arise close to the base of the main one.
The pods, which are usually but 1-seeded, are oval and pointed, and much more thickly clustered than those of G. triacanthos. The wood is coarse and inferior to other locusts, though it is heavy, hard and strong, and has been put to many uses.