Gymnocladus dioica (L.) K.Koch

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ANNOTATION
Gymnocladus 4*«$ I cm*
Duane Isely. 197 *--
Species 1st, Gymnocladus Canadensis. , 'Coffee-nut-tree*
Sp, ch. Leaves bipinnate; leaflet? oval, acuminate, pubescent.
Pursh*
Obs. The feoffee nut, tree, as it is heré universally called, is
the only species of the genus, and is peculiar to the forests of
Canada and the western states of North America, in no portion
of which is it more commonly met with, or seen in greater per-
fection than in theimmediate neighbourhood of Lexington. It
is strikingly characterized by its naked trunk, covered with a f
rough Contorted bark, lofty in proportion to itssize1; its thick
obtusely pointed branches; its large compound leaves, formed
of a great numbe* of small leaflets, arranged by double pairs;
and more particularly by its large brown pods, which remain-
ing on long after the leaves haye fallen, give a pécuíiar effect.
The wood is porous and of a reddish hue, not unlike the coarse
kind of mahogany: it splits well but is little used in mechanicks.
The seed, of which 6 or 8 are foujid in each pod,, are large and
hard; the kernel, extracted by roasfing lh the fire, ground and
boiled in water forms a drink not unlike coffee.
Although this tree is usually ranked among the dioecious
vegetables, (in which the male and female flowers are borne on
different plants*) i have been induced to believe that it was fre-
quently polygamous Or hermaphrodite, from observing that a
barren tree is very rarely met with, and that individuals bear
frúit abundantly ^although solitary and distant from all others
of the kind. Pursh even places it in the class Decandria. Flow-
ers generally from the ioth to T5th of May/ Fruit ripens in
October.
a Sun, Guilandina dioica. Lirm.	f
?BMaSL* ...
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