LEGUMINOSAE. — GYMNOCLADUS 91 



grows to a very large size and has buttressed roots, a massive bole clean of branches 

 for from 3 to 10 m. from the ground, and a wide-spreading head of thick branches. 

 The bark is quite smooth and pale grey in color. In degree of spinescence the trees 

 vary very considerably and some are quite thornless. The flowers are polygamo- 

 dioecious and the trees have a marked tendency toward dioecism and some in- 

 dividuals appear to be always sterile. The wood is nearly white and of little 

 value but the bloomy-black, flattened pods are rich in saponin and are valued as 

 a substitute for soap and are also used in the process of tanning hides. 



This is one of the most important of the Chinese " soap trees " and its collo- 

 quial name is " Tsao-k'o shu." Pictures of this tree will be found under Nos. 6, 

 7, 9, 467, 593, 597, 629, 631, 714, 717, 718, 0241, 0251, in the collection of my 

 photographs and also in my Vegetation of Western China, Nos. 233-243. 



E. H. W. 



Gleditsia officinalis Hemsley in Kew Bull. Misc. Inform. 1892, 82. 



Western Szech'uan: Yachou Fu, alt. 1000 m., October 1910 

 (No. 4615; tree 16-20 m., girth 2-2.30 m.); without precise locahty 

 (No. 2446, pods of unknown origin, purchased in town of Mupin). 



This rather rare tree in habit and general appearance resembles G. macracantha 

 Desfontaines. The small, flattened and curved, black or brownish-black pods, known 

 as " Ya-tsao " are used for medicinal purposes only. These pods are sliced and 

 boiled with other drugs and the infusion is considered a cure for colds and coughs. 

 This tree is also found very sparingly in western Hupeh and is said to occur in 

 the province of Shensi. The fully ripe pods of No. 2446 are dark chestnut-brown 

 and lustrous, linear oblong, 11-12 cm. long, 1.5-1.6 cm. broad and about 6 or 7 

 mm. thick. E. H. W. 



Gleditsia sinensis Lamarck, Encycl. Meth. II. 465 (1786). 



Western Szech'uan: Mao-chou, dry valleys, alt. 1000-1600 m.. 

 May 24 and October 1908 (No. 1214; tree 10-20 m. tall, girth 1.3- 

 3 m.); Min Valley, near Wen-chuan Hsien, alt. 1000-1300 m., No- 

 vember 1908 (No. 1363; tree 10-20 m., girth 1.3-2.6 m.). 



This tree in size, habit and general appearance does not differ from G. macra- 

 cantha Desfontaines. The vernacular name is the same and the pods have similar 

 uses. 



Pictures will be found under Nos. 0240, 0248, in the collection of my photographs. 



E. H. W. 



GYMNOCLADUS Lam. 



Gymnocladus chinensis Baillon in Compt. Rend. Assoc. Frang. 

 Avanc. Sci. III. 418, t. 4 (1875). 



Kiangsi : foothills around Kiukiang, common, alt. 300 m., August 

 2, 1907 (No. 1598; tree 10-16 m. tall, girth 0.6-1.6 m., bark smooth, 

 grey). Western Hupeh: Patung Hsien, alt. 1200 m., May, July, 

 September and December 1907 (No. 760, in part; tree 10-20 m. tall, 

 girth 0.6-1.6 m., bark smooth, light gray, flowers lilac-purple); Hsing- 



