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Fabaceae

 34-Fruits of Gymnocladus dioicus

[FMP-field: image]
Gymnocladus dioica (Kentucky coffee tree) is a common tree in woods in Illinois, especially floodplains. It is also cultivated, and there are numerous trees on the U of I campus, including just to the west of Mumford Hall and northeast of the Main Library.

The fruits contain several large seeds, and the green material around the seeds is rich in saponins, the same kind of compounds that make soap lather.

Photo by K. R. Robertson at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
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