226 



The Hickories 



the bract narrower; stamens 6, their anthers nearly sessile and yellow. The pistil- 

 late flowers are oblong, somewhat 4-angled, yellowish scurfy. The fruit is clus- 

 tered, oblong to oblong-cylindric, 3.5 to 6 cm. long, 4-angled, the husk thin, about 

 1.5 mm. thick, 4-valved, dark brown, yellowish hairy, splitting nearly to the base 

 when ripe; the nut is ovoid to cyHndric, round or but slightly angular, sharp- 

 pointed, rounded at the base, often stalked, red-brown, thin-shelled, 2-celled by 

 the thin astringent partition at the base; seed deHciously sweet, grooved, reddish 

 brown. 



The wood is hard, rather brittle, rather weak, close-grained, light reddish 

 brown; its specific gravity is about 0.72. It is the least valued of hickory woods, 

 but Hke all of them is very desirable for fuel. 



The tree is hardy as far north as Philadelphia. It is frequently planted in the 

 south for ornament or shade, for which it is very desirable; also for its fruit. It is 

 cultivated in a variety of forms, selected for the size of the nut, sweetness of its 

 kernel, and thinness of the shell. The fruit is collected in large quantities and 

 sold in all the markets of the north. 



Natural hybrids of this with Hicoria cordijormis, H. alba and H. laciniosa have 

 been reported from several stations. 



3. TEXAN PECAN Hicoria texana (Le Conte) Britten 



Hickorea texana Le Conte. Carya texana C. de Candolle 



This is a tree of low grounds and river swamps, closely related to the ordinary 



Pecan, known only from Texas, 

 where it reaches a maximum height 

 of about 30 meters with a trunk di- 

 ameter of 9 dm. though usually 

 much smaller and sometimes bushy. 

 The branches are somewhat 

 spreading, forming a rounded tree. 

 The bark is 12 to 18 mm. thick, ir- 

 regularly fissured into close plates of 

 a reddish brown color. The twigs 

 are slender, pale hairy, becoming 

 smooth, light brown and finally gray- 

 ish brown. The terminal buds are 

 oblong, sharply or taper-pointed, 

 sHghtly compressed, 6 mm. long, and 

 yellowish hairy; the lateral buds are 

 much smaller, borne one above the 

 other. The leaves are 2 to 4 dm. 

 Fig. 184. -Texan Pecan. ^^^^^ ^^iQ leaf-stalk slender, 2.5 to 4 



cm. long, shghtly flattened and grooved, thickly hairy at first, less hairy when old. 



