98 



Common Trees 



KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE 



Gymnocladus dioica, (Linnaeus) Koch 



The Kentucky Coffee Tree, also called Coffee Nut, 

 Nigger Tree, and Mahogany, attracts attention because 

 of its unusual features. A close relative is native to China. 



The leaves are alternate, twice and sometimes thrice com- 

 pound, 1 to 3 feet long, 

 \ x /i 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- 

 be a r i n g are greenish- 

 white and grouped in 

 clusters 3 to 4 inches 

 long. The pod-produc- 

 ing are greenish - white 

 and grouped in clusters 

 6 to 8 inches long. 



The fruit is a broad, 

 flat, thick, stubby, red- 

 dish - brown pod, 4 to 

 10 inches long, 2 to 4 

 inches broad. Pods con- 

 tain 6 to 9 marble-like 

 brown seeds and often 

 persist far into winter. 



The bark is dark gray 

 to blackish - brown, 

 roughened by long shal- 

 low furrows. The twigs 

 are 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 imbedded in twigs, surrounded by hairy ring 

 of bark, often placed above one another. 



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 to Minnesota and Oklahoma. In 

 New York this tree occurs from Onondaga county southward 

 and westward. It has been planted throughout the State for 

 ornamental purposes. Rich bottom-lands are its favorite 

 home. It reaches a height of 100 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. 



KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE 



One-fourth natural tize. 



Twig section, natural size. 



