OF Ohio 



81 



KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE 



Gymnocladus dioica (Linnaeus) Koch 



THE Kentucky Coffee Tree, also called Coffee Nut, Nig- 

 ger Tree, and Mahogany has unusual characteristics. 



The leaves are alternate, twice and sometimes thrice com- 

 pound, 1 to 3 feet long, 1 3^2 to 2 feet wide. Leaflets are 

 egg-shaped, about 2 inches long, sharp-pointed at apex, 

 smooth to wavy along margin. 



The flowers appear 

 about June and are 

 of two kinds. The 

 pollen-bearing are 

 greenish-white, a r - 

 ranged in clusters 3 

 to 4 inches long. The 

 pod-producing are 

 greenish-white and 

 grouped in clusters 6 

 to 8 inches long. 



The fruit is a 

 broad, flat, thick, 

 stubby, reddish- 

 brown pod, 4 to 10 

 inches long, 2 to 4 

 inches broad. Pods 

 contain 6 to 9 mar- 

 ble-like brown seeds 

 and often persist far 

 into winter. 



The bark is dark 

 gray to blackish- 

 brown, roughened by 

 long, shallow, fur- 

 rows. The twigs arc 

 very stout, greenish- 

 brown, often covered 

 with a crusty coating, marked with large, broadly heart- 

 shaped leaf-scars and contain wide pinkish to brown 'pith. 

 The buds are small, downy, almost entirely imbedded in 

 twigs, surrounded by hairy ring of bark, often placed above 

 one another in close formation. 



The wood is rather heavy, coarse-grained, light brown to 

 reddish-brown. It is used for posts, rails, and locally for 

 general construction work. 



The Kentucky Coffee Tree is found from central New 

 York to Tennessee, west of Minnesota and Oklahoma. It 

 is common on limestone soils of southern and southwestern 

 Ohio. It is rare north of Franklin County, and seldom 

 found in unglaciated section in southeastern part of State. 



KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE 



One-fourth natural size. 



Twig section natural size. 



