HICKORY. 245 



Hicoria minima. ( Carya amara. ) Bitternut Hickory. 



Swamp Hickory. 



Leaves six to ten inches long; leaflets five to nine, sessile, 

 lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, taper-pointed, serrate; buds 

 orange yellow in winter, resembling those of the Butternut, open- 

 ing by valves, which fall away early. Fruit globular; shuck 

 very thin; nut yellowish, thin-shelled, bitter. The bark does not 

 shell off as in Shagbark Hickory. A slender tree of graceful 

 habit, sometimes eighty feet high, but within our range much 

 smaller. It is a more rapid grower than the other hickories. 



Distribution. From New England, Ontario and Minnesota 

 south to Florida and Texas, in moist woods and near the borders 

 of streams and swamps. In Minnesota frequent in the southern 

 part of the state, extending through the Big Woods north to 

 Mille Lacs county. 



Propagation. The same as for Shagbark Hickory. 



Properties of Wood. Heavy, very hard, strong, tough and 

 close grained, liable to check badly in drying; color dark brown, 

 with thick light brown or nearly white sapwood. Specific grav- 

 ity, 0.7552; weight of a cubic foot, 47.06 pounds. 



Uses. The Bitternut Hickory is a good ornamental tree, and 

 quite hardy in proper locations in Minnesota. It is probably the 

 most desirable of the hickories, either for ornamental use or for 

 hoop poles in this section. The wood is inferior to thatfof the 

 Shagbark Hickory, but is used for about the same purposes. It 

 is said that in early days an oil pressed from the nuts was used 

 for illuminating purposes. 



