THK AMERICAN BOTANIST 29 



"swccl l)can" ami "sweet locust." The tei'iii "three-tin irned 

 acacia" is siifficientl)' intelii,i;il)le especiallx U> those who are 

 taniiliar with its stronj^" hranchinij^ thorns. This name ought 

 hy rii;ht to >taiul as the accepted \ernacular name since it is 

 emhodied in the scientific term, hut "honey locust" usually 

 has the preference. "Thorn locust" is still another varia- 

 tion ot the name. The hard hrown seeds are known as 

 "Mjueak beans" to mischievous school children who are well 

 aware that one of the shining- seeds properly twisted under 

 foot will produce a delightful variety of mysterious scjueaks 

 gauranteed to try the patience of any teacher. 



Another tree whose seeds have acquired for it a number 

 of vernacular names is (iyjiiiiocladits Candcusis. It is com- 

 monly known as the "Kentucky coffee-tree" and occasionally 

 as "coffee-nut", "coffee-tree" and "American coffee-bean." 

 It is difficult to understand the reason for such names for 

 the seeds are much too hard to ha\e served for coffee and in 

 addition possess a glucoside that is reputed to be poisonous. 

 The name "chicot" applied to this species is the French for 

 stub or stump but its connection with the tree is not evident 

 though "stump tree" is one of its, common names. The 

 reference may be to the stubby branches but this is merely 

 conjecture. "Nicker-tree" and "nicker-nut" are terms sup- 

 posed to have been ap[)lied to this .species in allusion to the 

 round seeds, like a "nicker" or marble. The plant regarded 

 as the true "nicker-nut" is a trojjical species of legume. The 

 hard dark-colored wood of our species is sometimes known 

 as "Kentucky mahoganv". 



X'arious sj)ecies of the Leguminosae have the remarkable 

 I)eculiarity of folding up their leaves as night approaches and 

 appearing to sleep — though no plant really sleeps — and several 

 others are able to change the position of their leaflets with 



