154 PEACTICAL FOKBSTET. 



GUAicuM. — Lignum VitcB. 



A genus of only a few species of evergreen trees and shrubs, 

 of the West Indies, and South America. One of the species 

 ((?. officinale) yields the peculiar substance known as guaicum, 

 used as a medicine. Wood exceedingly haxd and heavy. Plants 

 sometimes cultivated ia green-houses as a curiosity, and propa- 

 gated by cuttings which grow quite readily if taken oflE at a 

 joiat and set in sand where they can be given bottom heat. We 

 have one species 



Gnaicam sanctnm, L. — ^Lignum Vitse. — Leaflets six to eight, 

 obovate or oblong, tipped with a short point, entire. Flowers 

 clustered at the forks of the branches, about half an inch broad, 

 blue or purple. A small tree in Southern Florida, and the 

 West Indies. 



For G. angustifolium of Engelmanti, see Porliera. 



GTMNOCLADUS, Lam. — Coffee Tree. 



A genus of only one species, and its name is from two Greek 

 words, meaning naked branches, for when the large leaves fall 

 ia autumn the tree appears destitute of any fine twigs or 

 spray. 



Gymnocladiis Canadensis.— Kentucky Coffee Tree. — Leaves very 

 large, two to three feet long, twice pinnate, each partial leaf 

 stalk bearing seven to thirteen ovate leaflets, except the lowest 

 pair, which are single and two to three inches long, the leaflets 

 usually hangiug edgewise. The color of the leaves is a bluish- 

 green. The flowers are whitish, borne iu short spikes, and 

 the two sexes on separate trees, consequently, both must be 

 present in order to secure fruit on one. Fruit an oblong pod, 

 six to ten inches long, one to two inches broad, containing 

 several large, slightly flattened, smooth, hard, nut-bke seeds. 

 Wood of a reddish color, compact, very tough, and susceptible 

 of a high polish, but so cross-grained "that it can scarcely be 

 split, and when sawed into planks it warps very much in season- 

 ing. A very large tree, with a rough bark, sixty to eighty feet 

 high, and stem two feet or more in diameter. From Western 

 New York to Nebraska, and southward to Tennessee, reaching 

 its greatest size in the latter State and Kentucky. Readily 

 propagated by seeds or root cuttings. A rapid growing tree in 

 moist, rich soils, but succeeds poorly in light, dry soils. Not 

 especially valuable except as gn ornamental tree. 



