Handbook of Trees of the Northern States and Canada. 57 



The stately Pecan tree is tlie largast of tiie 

 Hickories, attaining soinstimes in the forest 

 a height of ItiO ft., wliea crowded together, 

 with massive trunk 5 or ft. in diameter. 

 When growing apart from other trees it de- 

 velops a very hirge ovoid or obovoid rounded 

 top, oftentimes seeming out of proportion to 

 the size of its trunk. It prefers low rich 

 ground in the neighborhood of streams subject 

 to occasional inundation. 



Its wood is heavy, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely drj', weighing 44.75 lbs., rather hard 

 and very tough and tle.xible, though not con- 

 sidered as valuable as that of the other 

 Hickories. It is occasionally used in the manu- 

 facture of agricultural implements and is ex- 

 cellent for fuel. 2 Its delicious nuts, improved 

 greatly by scle;'tion and cultivation, constitute 

 its chief point of value and are an important 

 article of commerce. For the production of 

 these the tree is grown in extensive planta- 

 tions. 



Leaves 12-20 in. long with 9-15 lanceolate to 

 lanceolate-oblong falcate subsessile leaflets which 

 are long-pointed, inequilateral and rounded or 

 wedge-shaped at base : bud-scales few, valvate. 

 Flowers in early June ; staminate in subsessile 

 amenta, 3-.') in. long ; cal.yx with middle lobe 

 linear and much longer than the oblong lateral 

 lobes. Fndt in clusters ol .".11. ohlong-cylindric, 

 pointed. 1-2 Vj in. lung, with pnuninent sutures 

 and thin brittle husk splitting to the base; nut 

 1-2 in. long, pointed, with smooth thin brown shell 

 with black markings, thin astringent dissepiments 

 and delicious seed. 



1. Syn. Carya olivaeformis Nutt. 



2. A. W., XI, 267. 



