Handbook of Tkeks of 



II K 



X 



ORTIIKKX 



C'axada. 51 



Tlie Butternut when growing in the open 

 rarely attains a greater height than tiO or 70 

 ft., its short truni< sometimes ;j or 4 ft. in 

 diameter soon dividing into a few large 

 branches, which spread far out and make a 

 wide symmetrical Hat or rounded top. In 

 forests it sometimes attains the iieigiit of 100 

 ft. It prefers rich soil along the hanks of 

 streams and on low liill-sides, commonly in 

 company witli the Beech, Yellow Birch, Maples, 

 Elms, Red Spruce, etc. 



Its wood is light, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry weighing 25.46 lbs., not strong, of a 

 gray-brown color and is valued for interior 

 finishing, cabinet work, etc. Its sap is rich 

 in sugar, and a fairly good quality of syrup is 

 made from it, thougli it does not harden to 

 form cakes; its bark possesses cathartic 

 properties; its nuts make a delicious food, and 

 the shucks are used for dying purposes. i 



Leaves 11-17 in. long, viscid-pubescent, with 

 stout petioles and 11-19 oblong-lanceolate yellow- 

 ish green rugose leaflets which are rounded and 

 unequal at base, acuminate, finely serrate except 

 at base, turning yellow in autumn and falling 

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

 1 1/2-3 in. at first and elongating to .'5-5 in.: calyx 

 yellow-green usually 6-lobed with rusty pubescent 

 acute bracts ; stamens 8-12 with dark brown 

 anthers and slightly Inln-d connwtivi's : pistillate 

 in o-.S-tlnwcnd spikes with sticky glandular hairs, 

 pointed calyx-lnhi's and l)right red pluiiKisc stiu'- 

 mas usually not fully unfolding until after libera- 

 tion of pollen. Fruit in racemose clusters of 12-.">. 

 ovoid-oblong, IV2-2V2 in. long, sticky pubescent 

 with rough deeply sculptured 4-ribhed nut, 

 acuminat<' at apex. 2-celled at base, 1-celled above 

 and containing a very oily edible seed. 



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