154 



PKACTICAL FORESTRY. 



GUAICU3I. — Lignum Vitm. 



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

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

 (G. offlcinale) yields the peculiar substance known as giiaicum, 

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

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

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

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

 have one species 



Gnaieam saiutaui, L. — Lignum Vitae. — 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 Engelmann, see Porliera, 



GYMi^ocLADUS, 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 

 in autumn the tree appears destitute of any fine twigs or 

 spray. 



Gymnocladus Canadcnsi;*.— 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 hanging edgewise. The color of the leaves is a bluish- 

 green. The flowers are whitish, borne in 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-like seeds. 

 Wood of a reddish color, compact, very tough, and suscei)tible 

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

 split, and wlien 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 an ornamental tree. 



