178 



KENTUCKY COFFEE-TREE. 



Gymnocladus dioica, (Linnaeus) Koch. 



GENUS DESCRIPTION This genus comprises only 2 species, one Gymnocladus chinensis 

 a native of southern China, and the other described here. The generic name Gymnocladus is of 

 Greek origin and means "naked branch" referring to the stout clumsy branches which are 

 devoid of foliage for about 6 months of the year. 



FORM A medium-sized tree usually 40-80 ft. in height with a diameter of 1-2 ft. but may 

 teach a height of 100 ft. with a diameter of 3 feet. Trunk usually short, soon subdividing 

 into 2 or S secondary nc-arly parallel stems. Crown narrow obovate, composed of very stout 

 branchlets. 



BARK Of medium thickness, dark gray to dark brown, roughened by shallow fissures separat- 

 ing low ridges covered with thin recurved scales. 



TWIGS Very stout, blunt-pointed, greenish-brown, often coated with a whitish crusty film, 

 occasionally covered with fine hairs, and marked with large conspicuous lenticels usually most 

 numerous on the second year's growth. Pith large, pink to brown in color. 



BUDS Alternate; terminal bud absent; small, downy, imbedded in twig so that it scarcely 

 projects beyond surface, surrounded by incurved hairy ring of bark, superposed. The upper- 

 most bud is the largest; the lowest is small and located in the depression at top of leaf -scar. 



LEAVES Alternate, twice compound, 1-3 ft. long, 1J-2 ft. broad, with 7-13 foliate pinnae; 

 1-2 basal pairs of pinnaa are reduced to entire leaflets. Pinnae htive 3-7 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets 

 ovate, 2-2J inches long, wedge-shaped to rounded at base, sharp-pointed at apex, entire to 

 wavy on margin. 



LEAF-SCARS Alternate, more than 2-ranked, large, conspicuous, raised on projections of 

 twigs, broadly heart-shaped, paler in color than surrounding twig; contain 3-5 large, raised 

 bundle-scars. 



FLOWERS Appear about June. Regular, polygamus, or dioecious by abortion. Staminate 

 flowers greenish-white and arranged in a raceme-like corymb about 3-4 inches long. Pistillate 

 flowers greenish-white and arranged in terminal racemes 6-8 inches long. 



FRUIT A broad, flat, thick, stubby, reddish-brown pod, 4-10 inches long, 1-2 inches broad, 

 sometimes covered with a grayish bloom. Pods often persist far into winter and remain closed. 

 Seeds dark brown, flat, 6-9 'to a pod, over & of an inch across, surrounded by a somewhat 

 sticky sweet pulp. 



WOOD Ring-porous; pores in spring wood large, in late wood small; rays distinct but not 

 conspicuous; heavy, not hard, strong, coarse-gained, light brown to reddish-brown, durable 

 in contact with soil; takes a fine polish. Weighs about 43 Ibs. per cubic foot. Used for 

 fence posts, fence rails, and occasionally in construction. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The Kentucky Coffee-tree, also known as Mahogany, 

 Coffee Nut, and Nicker Tree, can be distinguished by its large twice compound leaves, its 

 stout, clumsy, unarmed branches marked with large leaf-scars and containing pink to brown 

 pith, and by its thick, stubby, and woody fruit-pods. The superposed, depressed, silky buds, 

 the uppermost of which is surrounded hy an incurved hairy ring of bark, are also character- 

 istic. In general it resembles the Ailanthus lut it can be distinguished from it especially by 

 its curious bark, its characteristic fruit, and the parallelism of its primary branches. 



RANGE Central New York south to Tennessee and westward to Minnesota and Indian 

 Territory. It is absent from many localities within this range. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA Planted extensively as an ornamental tree but usually 

 known under the name of Mahogany. Franklin county is the only part of the State where it is 

 reported as a native tree. 



HABITAT Rich woods and bottomlands. Always occurs solitary, never in clusters or stands. 

 Often only a single tree known in a locality. When planted it will grow practically anywhere 

 In tbe State. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES This tree is of no commercial importance, especially in 

 this State where it is very rare. It is regarded rather attractive as an ornamental tree and 

 is planted extensively In this State. It loses its leaves early in autumn and develops them 

 late in spring. 



