|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Gymnocladus dioicous |
|
|
||
|
Family: Leguminosae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Kentucky Coffetree |
|
|
|
The genus Gymnocladus is represented by four
species native to North America [1] and Asia [3]. The word gymnocladus comes from the
Greek–naked branch–referring to the few stout twigs, which are conspicuous year
round. The word dioicus relates to dioecious, meaning there are male and female
trees.
Gymnocladus
dioicus- American coffee bean,
American mahogany, chicot, chico du Canada, chicot tree, coffeebean,
coffeebean-tree, coffeenut, coffeetree, dead tree, geweihbaum, Kentucky
mahogany, mahogany, mahogany-bean, nettle-tree, nicker-tree, stump tree.
Distribution
From central
New York and southern Ontario west to southern Michigan, Minnesota and South
Dakota south to central Kansas, southern Oklahoma east to Arkansas,
Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The Tree
The Kentucky
coffeetree is medium size, reaching 100 ft (30 m) tall and 3 ft (1 m) in
diameter. The trunk commonly divides into 3 or 4 stems, about 15 ft (4.5 m)
from the ground. The tree has deciduous leaves that are bipinnately compound.
It produces white to lavender flowers in large clusters (terminal racemes). The
tree produces bean-like pods that are hard and woody when mature and contain
several seeds surrounded in sweet, greenish pulp. It grows in deep rich soils
in bottom lands, in association with sweetgum, tupelo, oaks and hickories. For
about 6 months of the year, the tree lies dormant, leading to the name Dead
Tree or Stump Tree.
The Wood
General
The wood of
Kentucky coffeetree is ring porous, resembling ash, honeylocust or sassafras. Its
sapwood is narrow and yellowish white, while the heartwood is light red to
reddish brown. The wood has no characteristic odor or taste. It is hard and
heavy, with a coarse, straight grain.
Mechanical
Properties (2-inch standard)
|
|
|
|
Compression |
|
|
|
|
|
Specific gravity |
MOE x106 lbf/in2 |
MOR lbf/in2 |
Parallel lbf/in2 |
Perpendicular lbf/in2 |
WMLa in-lbf/in3 |
Hardness lbf |
Shear lbf/in2 |
Green |
0.53 |
1.00 |
7,320 |
3,360 |
870 |
— |
1,080 |
1,360 |
Dry |
0.60 |
1.42 |
10,500 |
6,600 |
1,470 |
— |
1,390 |
1,780 |
aWML = Work to maximum load.
Reference (90). |
Drying and
Shrinkage
Type of shrinkage |
Percentage of
shrinkage |
||
0% MC |
6% MC |
20% MC |
|
Tangential |
7.6 |
5.9 |
2.4 |
Radial |
4.1 |
3.3 |
1.2 |
Volumetric |
11.9 |
9.6 |
4.0 |
Reference (90). |
Kiln Drying
Schedule: No information available at this time.
Working
Properties: Kentucky coffeetree works without difficulty and finishes to a
smooth surface.
Durability:
Very resistant to heartwood decay, especially in contact with the soil.
Preservation:
No information available at this time.
Uses: Cabinets,
railroad ties, fence posts and rails, general construction, railway sleepers,
bridge timbers, sills, interior finish, fuel. The seeds were used by the
pioneers as a coffee substitute ("coffeetree").
Toxicity: No
information available at this time.
Additional
Reading and References Cited (in parentheses)
29. Elias, T.S.
1980. The complete trees of North America, field guide and natural history. New
York: van Nostrand Reinhold Company.
55. Little, Jr.,
E.L. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agric.
Handb. 541. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.
U.S. Government Printing Office.
68. Panshin,
A.J.; de Zeeuw, C. 1980. Textbook of wood technology, 4th ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill Book Co.
74. Record,
S.J.; Hess R.W. 1943. Timbers of the new world. New Haven, CT: Yale University
Press.