264 



THE NATURE BOOK 



to four pairs of these 

 leaflets arranged on op- 

 posite sides of a central 

 stalk, which terminates 

 in an added leaflet. The 

 \-cining of the com- 

 jiound leaf so composed 

 is the same in character 

 as that of the simi)lc 

 leaves already con- 

 sidered — a midrib with 

 branching pairs of side 

 ribs. Here, however, the 

 midrib of the walnut's 

 compound leaf takes the 

 character of a central 

 stalk, which terminates 

 at the apex of the upper- 

 m o s t single leaflet ; 

 whilst each separate 

 side rib, branching from 

 this central stalk, be- 

 comes the midrib of a 

 separate leaflet, having 

 itself numerous pairs 

 of side ribs. A marked 

 peculiarity of these side 

 ribs in the leaflets of 

 the walnut is that they 

 do not terminate in the 

 margin, but curve over, 

 like a whip-lash, loop- 

 ing each into the next. 

 The shape of each leaf- 

 let is oval, somewhat 

 pointed, and without marginal inden- 

 tations. The compound leaf of the ash 

 is similar in nearly every respect to 

 that of the walnut, but the leaflets of the 

 ash are more 

 sharply pointed, 

 and their margins 

 are distinctly and 

 evenly serrated. 

 Walnut leaves 

 are strongly aro- 

 matic, especially 

 when crushed. 



The flowers are 

 separate, but 

 grow on the same 

 tree. Theyapj^ear 

 with the leaves. 

 The ])ollen-bear- 

 '"wA^T^M*;;: -g Howers are 

 LAKGEDj. gathered mto a 



WINTER TWIG OF 

 THE WALNUT, 



stout, pendulous, green catkin, growing 

 singly from a lateral bud on the pre- 

 vious year's shoot, unattended with 

 foliage lea\-es. The terminal bud of 

 the same shoot grows out at the same 

 time into a new shoot bearing foliage, 

 and itself proljabl}^ terminates with a 

 small cluster of from two to Ave of the 

 fruit-producing flowers. These are globu- 



LEAF OF THE WALNUT DIVIDED INTO NINE 

 LEAFLETS. 



lar, green, bud-like, and erect, each with 

 a pair of purplish plumes, the receptive 

 stigmas waiting for the wind-blown pollen 

 from the pendulous catkins. 



The jruits also grow in a cluster, usually 

 two or three, at the tips of the current 

 year's shoots. They are oval in shape, 

 smooth, and in colour green changing to 

 brown. The walnut fruit is not a nut 

 but a stone fruit, the outer fleshy layer 

 of which has not acquired edible qualities, 

 as in the case of the j^lum or the cherry. 

 When rijie this outer layer splits open 

 irregularly, exj^osing the " stone " with 

 its hard, bivalve shell protecting the 

 curiously wrinkletl twin kernels, held in 

 so high esteem as sweet and nutritious, 

 thougli by us scarcely regarded as of such 

 sui^erlative worth as to justify the old 

 name — " Juglans," the fruit of Jove. 

 Henry Irving. 



