Han 



DBOOK 



Tin-: 



11 



X( 



AND ('ax 



\1»A. .Jo 



Tlie Bitter-nut IlicUory wIkmi growing in tlie 

 forests on racist butloni l.nuis o.-c-asioiially al 

 tains the heigiit of 100 ft., ami when .uiowiiig 

 apart from otlier tiecs devt'lops a well rouiulotl 

 but often irregular top of handsome foliage, 

 its straiglit coluiniiar trunk is sometimes -2 

 or 3 ft. in diameter and vested in a character 

 istic brownish gray bark with close scaly al- 

 most reticulate ridges. It thrives best in low 

 moist soil in company with the Silver and Red 

 Maples, Black Ash. Elms, etc.. but is often 

 found also on rolling uplands. Being very hardy 

 and less fastidious than the other Hickories 

 in conditions of soil in which it grows, it is 

 more uniform in its distribution and probably 

 the most abundant representative of its genus. 



Its wood is heavy, a cubic foot when abso 



lutely dry weighing 47.06 lbs., hard and strong 



and is valued for tool handles, agricultural 



implements, hoops, ox-yokes, etc., and makes 



an excellent fuel.- 



Leaves 6-10 in. long, pubescent when young, 

 •with rather slender petioles, leflets 7-11, sessile, 

 lanceolate to obovate, 2-6 in. long, thin and firm, 

 usually unequal at base, coarsely serrate, lon"» 

 taper-pointed, dark green and glabrous above, 

 pubescent beneath ; winter buds bright yellow, 

 compressed, with 2 pairs of valvate caducous 

 scales. Flowers (May-.June) ; staminate aments 

 2-4 in. long, slightly pubescent : calyx-lobes about 

 equal but middle one narrower : stamens 4 ; an- 

 thers yellow, deeply ermarginate. Fruit subglo- 

 l)ose to obovoid, %-lV2 in. long with 4 sutures 

 prominently winged from apex to about the 

 middle ; husk thin, tardily dehiscent ; nut thin- 

 sholled, compressed, often broader than long ; seed 

 reddish brown, deeply rugose and very bitter. 



1. Syn. Carya amara Nutt. 



2. A. W., II, 37. 



3. For genus see pp. 423-424. 



