28 



SENNA FAMILY (CAESALPINIACEAE). 



KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE. 



G-ymnocladus dioica (L.) Koch. 



Other names: Coffee tree ; American coffee bean: Kentucky mahog- 

 any: nicker tree: bonduc; chicot. (Fig-. 11.) 



Description and habitat. — A robust, locust-like tree, 40 to 60 feet hi oh 



with rough, transversely broken 

 bark, thornless branches, bipin- 

 nate leaves 2 to 3 feet long, with 

 numerous leaflets ; yellowish flow- 

 ers, and large, conspicuous, woody 

 seed pods. These are occupied by 

 two or more large stony seeds and 

 a mass of peculiar vaseline -like 

 pulp. The tree grows more or 

 less abundantly in rich soil along 

 rivers from Nebraska to Arkan- 

 sas, throughout Tennessee and 

 the Ohio Eiver region to western 

 Pennsylvania. 



Poisonous property. — The alka- 

 loid cytisine, which exists in the 

 closely related laburnum tree (Cy- 

 tisus laburnum), is reported to 

 have been found also in the leaves 

 and in the fruit pulp of the coffee 

 tree. Both of these parts have 

 been used, when rubbed up with 

 milk, to poison flies. 



Symptoms and treatment. — Few 

 accidental cases of poisoning 

 arise, but the pulp, in one in- 

 stance, caused severe illness in a 

 woman who ate a small quantity, 

 mistaking it for that of the honey locust (GJeditsia triacanthos), which 

 is frequently eaten by children. The symptoms were not fully noted 

 at the time, but are described from memory as conspicuously narcotic. 

 The effect began within five minutes and lasted several hours. The 

 treatment should probably be the same as that for laburnum, viz, 

 emetics, stimulants, injections of coffee, and an alternately hot and cold 

 douche to the head and chest. 



Fig. 11. — Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioi 

 ca) : a, young branch with leaves and flowers ; b. 

 seed pod — both one-third natural size. 



