I don’t expect much knowledge here, but maybe somebody else’s superior research skills can help me.
I’ve lately taken an interest in Gymnocladus dioicus (Kentucky coffee tree) and it’s potential as an edible tree crop. In this vein, I want to try and obtain information about and seeds from as many of its close relatives as possible. On a recent trip to Washington DC I stopped by the national arboretum and obtained some seeds from G. chinensis (Chinese coffee tree /Chinese soap pod tree).
I’ve found extremely little information available about the plant, besides some exotic seed websites and scientific articles about extraction of very specific compounds for medical use. I’m wondering if anyone can help me answer a few key questions:
Is there anywhere that is tree is being propagated or used for anything at scale?
Is it used traditionally used as medicine and, if so, how?
Is this species used to make soap and called the soap pod tree, or are people confusing it with G. assamicus (Himalayan soap pod tree)?
Are there toxins in it aside from saponins that could prove dangerous in consumption of the seeds?
Included are some pictures of the stems, leaves, and inside the pods from the trees. The pods notably lack the goo that G. dioicus have, and instead have this white coating that smells sweet and floral.
