It isn't Akebia quinata, it's Akebia trifoliata; the leaves are different. I know this because I saw the same plant in bloom at Skylands a couple years ago and looked it up. It has weird brown flowers, but those fruits are even stranger. WW Here is a link that might be useful: Akebia trifoliata

Not true mahogany. It's Kentucky Coffeetree, G.dioicus - occasionally referred to by lesser-known monikers such as 'Kentucky mahogany', 'American mahogany', 'mahogany bean' tree. The wood of KCT has sometimes been passed off on unsuspecting buyers as mahogany. Look inside - there will be several round hard-shelled seeds surrounded by green, gelatinous goo. True mahogany is a tropical/subtropical tree, the seedpods are pear-shaped, and the seeds are winged.

You're probably right nmgirl, seeing as you live in an area with mesquite. But to me, they still look too wide and flattened, too swollen around the seeds, and not long enough to be mesquite. I just pulled out my stash of dried mesquite pods which average about 1/4 inch wide and nearly as thick, by 3 or 4 inches long, with 20 or so seeds very close together. This pic shows differently, with only about 7 seeds per pod. You're absolutely right that the color is correct, though, and I'm sure there could be a great deal of variation from tree to tree (although in my experience velvet mesquite in AZ has even longer pods)... We'd know for sure in yayanator sent a pic of the trees themselves (in leaf).

monarda ... the one i had was a perennial in MI ... why would this one be dead to the ground ...??? kach.. next time.. throw in a scale ... anything we might recognize ... very slightly reminds me of bachelor button [the annual one.. not the perennial one...lol] .. cornflower ... or which i never knew the latin name ... ken well not after i looked at the pix.. but they are so pretty i offer the link.. and dont delete my response ... this is 5 mins of my life i will never get back.. lol https://www.google.com/search?q=bachelor+button..+cornflower+seed+pod&biw=878&bih=745&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBn_jMz8LJAhUTqoMKHTekCoIQ_AUIBigB&dpr=0.9