Expertise identifying a somewhat unusual tree...

[Morey St. Denis]

Been scouting the area of central New Jersey for fallen trees from recent storm Sandy for potential windfall lumber and turning material sources.

Ever come across a large, mature (diameter of the bole is 2 feet) tree with leaves virtually identical to American Chestnut, yet the profusely attached seed pods appear rather as shriveled pea pods? Specifically, more in a gardening vernacular, I would say light brown dried, thin, Snow Pea pods. Size of those multple pods is up to 2" in length. There are three individual compact, (smaller than a lentil) very hard, brown seeds linearly arranged within each pod.

Oddly enough, in my own search for leaf examples that might initially be mistaken for American Chestnut, I have come across a matching artistic image mis-identified as Horse Chestnut. We all known that Horse Chestnut has palmately compound leaves, not singular alternately opposed leaves. I suspect the tree, of which there are two fully uprooted windfallen examples, may be an imported species. They are located on municipal complex grounds with many other varied examples of imported "exotics" along with native and japanese maples, oaks, black cherry, black walnut, yellow poplar, hemlock, japanese cedar and horse chestnut. The leaves and seed pods appearing lower left in the image below look to be a fair illustration of the tree type in question.

[matt swiderski]

What about a Kentucky coffee tree? Not sure of the leaves, but they have seed pods that are long and skinny. Some people call the seed pods, the poor man's cigar. I've never tried to smoke one, but have heard that they are pretty bad to smoke.

[Bill Neely]

It's a legume so that's where you need to start. Wild guess would be Black Locust.

[Dan Hintz]

Google "cigar tree"... does it look like that? The leaves don't look like American Chestnut, but maybe...

[Danny Hamsley]

If it is black locust, the bark will be furrowed and the twigs will be armed with small curved stipular thorns that occur on each side of the leaf petiole just like on a rose bush.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

To me it looks like a Tree of Heaven.

[Morey St. Denis]

Thanks for those ruminations. I am familiar with the Kentucky Coffee Tree and the Locusts. These have pinnately compound leaves with relatively small leaflets. Those of the "coffee tree" are I believe referred to as bipinnately compound. Seeds within those large, thick leathery pods are about 3/4" while seeds within multiple small pods of the tree in question are kidney shaped, only 1/8" in dimension, with just 2 or 3 situated linearly within multiple relatively small 2", lightweight, papery legume pods. There also look to be several mature examples of the Kentucky Coffee Tree nearby on this property for direct comparison. The Tree of Heaven is said to have pinnately compound leaves with singular, winged seeds. The Catalpas are well represented in this area with their enormous, brilliant green, plush leaves that are not oblong, nor described as sharply toothed. Catalpa bean pods are also very large cigar sized.

Weather here is shaping up to look good today, with ample lighting. I will endeavor to get some pictures of these downed trees. Keep in mind we are likely looking for a large tree member of the legume family, with large (6" - 8") singular, oblong, pointed leaves having many straight, parallel veins ending in curved sharply pointed teeth. The slick, now dried, sturdy, somewhat waxy leaf is quite similar to the oaks in their color & texture this season, but is on a short 1/2" stalk, and appears to me, in all ways a match to the Chestnuts...

Morey

[Don Orr]

Maybe some kind of Acacia? They are legumes with seed pods as you describe and pinnate leaves, although often with opposite leaflets instead of alternate as your picture shows. Might even grow in parts of NJ. There are many kinds of Acacias.