The Cercis reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Cercis

Cercis, the Redbuds, is a genus of about 6-10 species in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae.

A full list of species in the genus is:

• Cercis canadensis - Eastern redbud (eastern North America)
• Cercis chinensis - Chinese redbud (China; including C. glabra)
• Cercis gigantea - Giant redbud (China)
• Cercis griffithii - Afghan redbud (southern central Asia)
• Cercis mexicana - Mexican redbud (Mexico; often treated as a variety of C. canadensis)
• Cercis occidentalis - California redbud or Western redbud (California)
• Cercis racemosa - Chain-flowered redbud (western China)
• Cercis reniformis - Oklahoma redbud (Oklahoma; often treated as a variety of C. canadensis)
• Cercis siliquastrum - Judas-tree or European redbud (Mediterranean region)
• Cercis texensis - Texas redbud (Texas; often treated as a variety of C. canadensis)

Judas-tree, Cercis siliquastrum is a small tree to 10-15m tall native to the south of France, Iberia, Italy, Greece and Asia Minor, which forms a handsome low tree with a flat spreading head. In early spring it is covered with a profusion of magenta pink flowers, which appear before the leaves. The flowers have an agreeably acidic bite, and are eaten in mixed salad or made into fritters. The tree was frequently figured in the 16th and 17th century herbals. The elaborate mediaeval mythology that developed around the figure of Judas Iscariot would have had him hang himself from this tree, which may suggest that it was among the European trees that had some pre-Christian cultic significance.

A smaller Eastern American woodland understory tree, Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, is common from Canada to piedmont Alabama and eastern Texas. It differs from the European Cercis species in its pointed leaves and slightly smaller size (rarely over 12m tall). The flowers are also used in salads and for making pickled relish, while the inner bark of twigs gives a mustard-yellow dye.

The Chain-flowered redbud Cercis racemosa from western China is unusual in the genus in having its flowers in pendulous 10cm racemes, as in a Laburnum, rather than short clusters.

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