Handbook of Trees of tiik Xoktukkn States and Canaixx. 



The Bitter-nut Hickory when growing in the 

 forests on moist bottom hinds occasionally at- 

 tains the height of 100 ft., ami when growing 

 apart from other trees develops a well rounded 

 but often irregular top of handsome foliage. 

 Its straight columnar 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 st)il 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 wliicli it j^rows, 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. OG lbs., hard and strong 

 and is valued for tool handles, agricultural 

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

 an excellent fuel.'- 



Lcavcs 0-10 in. Ion;;, 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, long 

 taper-pointed, dark green and glabrous above, 

 pubescent beneath : winter buds bright yellow, 

 compressed, with 2 pairs of valvate caducous 

 scales. Floircis (May-.Iune); staminate aments 

 2-4 in. l(in;^. slis;htly pubescent ; calyx-lobes about 

 e(|ual but middle one niirrower ; stamens 4; an- 

 thers yelhiw, deeply ermarginate. Fruit subglo- 

 bose to obovold, %-lVL' in. long with 4 sutures 

 j)rominently winged from apex to about the 

 middle ; husk thin, tardily dehiscent : nut thin- 

 shell(>d. compressed, often broader than long; seed 

 reddish brown, deeply rugose and very bitter. 



1. Syn. Carya aiuara Xutt. 



2. A. W., II, :m. 



3. For genus see pp. 42;{-424. 



