78 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) occurs in the forests of 
Missouri, from which it has spread into southern and eastern Nebraska, 
to Sarpy county along the Missouri river, and Franklin county in the 
valley of the Republican river (32). 
Wild Plum {Primus americana Marsh.) is common in the country 
east of the Plains, into and across which it appears to have been carried, 
so that it Is now found in the Rocky Mountain region. It is found in 
all parts of Nebraska (33), even in the “pockets” in the Sandhills into 
which it must have been carried by birds. 
Family Caesalpiniaceae. 
Kentucky Coffee Tree {Gymnocladus dioica (L.) Koch). The larg® 
monocarpellary fruits (15-18 centimetres long, 4-5 wide, and nearly 2 
centimetres thick) contain about half a dozen large, spherical, very hard 
seeds, imbedded in a sweet pulp. The ripened pods hang on the trees 
for a part of the winter, and when they fall are picked up by quadrupeds 
which are attracted by their sweet odor. The hardness of the seeds pre- 
vents their being crushed. The tree occurs in the Missouri forests, and 
has followed the Missouri and Niobrara rivers northwestward to Rock 
county (34). In the southeastern part of the state it has followed th« 
smaller streams westward fifty to sixty miles from the Missouri river. 
Ploney Locust {Gleditsia triacanthos L.) The large twisted and bent 
monocarpellary fruits (20-30 centimetres long, 2-2.5 wide, and 0.5 thick), 
contain ten or more very hard, fiat seeds imbedded in a sweet pulp. The 
pods fall from the tree during the winter and are picked up and partly 
eaten by the larger quadrupeds as swine, cattle, etc., and doubtless were 
also by deer, buffaloes and ether wild animals before the advent of white 
men. The hardness of the seeds preserves them from injury. The tree is 
common in the forests of Missouri and has been carried up the Missouri 
river and its tributaries so that now it occurs as far west as Franklin 
county in the Republican valley, and Holt county along the Niobrara 
river (35). It has also passed up the Nemaha and the Blue rivers to 
Gage and Lancaster counties. 
Red Bud {Cercis canadensis L.). The bean-like pods are very flat and 
thin, and are well adapted to be carried in the wind a few metres. It is 
common in the Missouri forests and. has extended northwestward into 
Nebraska (36) as far as Lancaster and Douglas counties. 
Family Platanaceae. 
Sycamore {Platanus occidenialis L.). The flowers grow in spherical 
heads, and produce compact, spherical clusters of oblong nutlets, which 
hang from long peduncles. When they fall from the tree (in the winter) 
they roll over the ground in the wind carrying their seeds with them. 
These trees are common in the forests of Missouri, from which they hav® 
moved up along the eastern edge of the state to Douglas county (37). 
