On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 10:49:48 -0600, Archimedes Plutonium
wrote:

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 09:11:46 -0600 Monique Reed wrote:
(snip what I wrote)


Honeylocust, as a member of the genus _Gleditsia_, is usually
polygamo-dioecious, which means that trees bear both unisexual and
bisexual flowers. So, while trees bear flowers that are mostly of one
sex, most will also have bisexual (perfect) flowers. I don't think it
is common to have fully male or fully female trees, so if you notice a
difference in fruit production from year to year, likely the tree is
just adjusting its proportion of unisexual and bisexual flowers.

Plants propagated from trunk or root sprouts will be exactly
genetically identical to the parent.

As for thorniness, it's quite variable from plant to plant. Often you
get more thorns on young individuals. AFAIK, thorniness is not
related to sex expression.

M. Reed.

Monique, you would not happen to know where most of the USA supply of "locust bean gum" that I see so much of the ingredients in
processed food is grown, harvested in the USA? I suppose the demand and supply is of a small demand. I am guessing it is the
honeylocust bean that is used.

No, commercial locust bean gum comes from carob (Ceratonia siliqua).
Honey locust pods are edible, but to my knowledge are not used
commercially, as carob is of higher quality and long cultivated for
this and other purposes.

Another question: Oak acorns I believe were used as a substitute for wheat flour to make bread in the old pioneer days. But I
wonder if eating oak acorns is unhealthy due to the tannins. Has anyone measured the relative food value of oak acorns to that of
wheat?

Lots of people. Pioneers learned to prepare acorns from the Indians,
who had lived on acorns for thousands of years. Probably the greatest
authority on the subject of acorns as food is Julia Parker; see Ortiz
and Parker, "It Will Live Forever: Traditional Yosemite Indian Acorn
Preparation" (Heyday Books).

Acorns from low-tannin species of oak are more palatable, but all
acorns need to be leached to extract tannins.

Acorns are rich and nutritious food, even if impressively bland; acorn
flour runs about 500 calories/100 grams, largely carbohydrate and
(mostly unsaturated) fat but also some protein (incomplete: it's short
on tryptophan, a common fault of plant protein sources).

--
Chris Green