COFFEETREE. 331 



but is likely to kill back in severe winters, though the roots are 

 very hardy and generally renew the top the season following any 

 winter injury. In Iowa and Missouri it forms a large tree, 

 often three feet through the trunk. The one-year-old seedlings 

 are rather tender the first winter, and should be dug and heeled 

 in or heavily mulched at the end of the first season, after which 

 they are rather hardy. 



Genus GYMNOCI,ADUS. 



Gymnocladus dioicus. (G. canadensis.) Coffeetree. 



Kentucky Coffeetree. 



Leaves very large, two to three feet long, twice pinnate, each 

 partial leaf stalk bearing seven to thirteen ovate leaflets, the 

 lowest pair with single leaflets. The leaflets stand vertically. 

 The color of the leaves is a bluish green. The flowers are 

 dioecious or polygamous, whitish, borne in large racemes which 

 are much longer on the fertile than on the sterile trees. Fruit 

 a large flat pod, containing large seeds over one-half inch in 

 diameter, surrounded by a thick layer of dark colored sweet 

 pulp. The fruit generally remains unopened on the tree all 

 winter. Flowers appear from May to July. 



Distribution. One of the rarest forest trees of North America, 

 found growing from western New York and southern Ontario 

 west to the Minnesota Valley, and eastern Nebraska and south 

 between the Mississippi river and the Allegheny Mountains to 

 Tennessee. In Minnesota it is found sparingly in southern and 

 southeastern portions of the state north .to near St. Paul and as 

 far west as New Ulm. 



Propagation. Grown from root cuttings or from seeds, which 

 should be scalded before being sown, as recommended for the 

 seeds of Locust. 



Properties of wood. Heavy, not very hard, strong, coarse 

 grained, likely to check in drying, but very durable in contact 

 with the ground. It can be easily worked, and takes a good 

 polish. It is rich brown in color, with thin rather lighter 

 colored sapwood. Specific gravity 0.6934; weight of a cubic 

 foot 43.21 pounds. 



Uses. The Coffeetree is graceful and ornamental when in 

 leaf, and in winter is interesting from its peculiar naked a.n4 



