THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, HICKORIES, ETC. 235 



stem; they are fine-toothed, and very smooth above 

 and below, except that the angles of the ribs are 

 apt to be a trifle fuzzy. This hickory (considered 

 by Prof. Sargent a variety of the foregoing species) 

 grows from 60 to 90 feet high, and is found from 

 eastern Massachusetts to Delaware, and from New 

 York westward to central Michigan, southern Illi- 

 nois, and Missouri. The bark is somewhat shaggy 

 but separates in narrow, thin plates. 



The bitternut, or swamp hickory, is 

 Bitternut, or 



Swamp Hickory, a large tree with spreading limbs, 



Carya omara. which is found in low, wet woods 



Carya cordiformis. K 



and swamps ; it grows irom 50 to 

 75 and occasionally 100 feet 

 high. There are from seven 

 to eleven narrow leaflets on 

 a slender stem ; these are 

 smooth on both sides, or very 

 slightly downy beneath, es- 

 pecially when young. The 

 fruit is roundish, and the rath- 

 er soft, thin husk separates 

 down to about the middle ; the 

 thin-shelled, whitish nut is de- 

 pressed at the top, and has an 

 extremely bitter kernel, which was at first sweet. 

 The husk and nutshell are thinner than those of the 



Bitternut, portion of leaf. 



