Trees of New York State 141 



JUGLANDACEAE 



Juglans ciuera L. 



Butternut, White Walnut 



Habit — LTsually a niediuiu sized tree 30-50 feet in height, with a short, stout 

 trunk 1-2 feet in diameter which divides 15-20 feet above the ground 

 into several stout, horizontally-spreading limbs. Crown broad, uu.syni- 

 metrical, round-topped and rather open. Under optimum conditions the 

 tree may attain a height of 100 feet with a tall, stout, straight bole which 

 is free of branches for half its length. 



Leaves — Alternate, odd-pinnately compound, 15-30 inches long, consisting of 

 11-17 sessile or nearly sessile leaflets arranged in pairs along a stout, 

 pubescent petiole, the terminal leaflet long-stalked. Leaflets oblong- 

 lanceolate, 3—4 inches long, 1^/2-2 inches wide, acute or acuminate at the 

 apex, inecpiilateral and rounded at the base, finely serrate except at the 

 base, at maturity thin, yellowish green and rugose above, pale and soft 

 pubescent beneath. 



Flowers — Appearing in May or early June when the leaves are about half 

 grown, monoecious, the staminate in stout, unbranched, elongated aments 

 on the gro\\'th of the preceding season, the pistillate in terminal, 6-8- 

 flowered spikes capping the growth of the season, the two sorts proximal. 

 Staminate flowers about % of an inch long, epaulet-shaped, consisting of 

 a rusty-pubescent, acute bract bearing adaxially a 6-lobed, light yellowish 

 green perianth subtending 8-12 nearly sessile stamens. Anthers dark 

 brown. Pistillate flowers about % of an inch long, sessile, consisting of 

 an inferior, 1-celled ovary surmounted by a short style and 2 clavate, 

 spreading, bright red stigmas nearly half an inch in length. The ovary is 

 closely invested by glandular, coherent bracts and the calyx. 



Fruit- — ^ An ovoid or ellipsoid, 4-ridged, sculptured nut, abruptly acute at the 

 apex, 1-celled above, 2-celled at the base, covered by a glandular, hairy, 

 indehiscent, fleshy, green husk. 



Winter characters — Twigs stout, lenticellate, greenish gray to reddish buff 

 and lustrous the first ■\\'inter, turning reddish or orange-brown the second 

 season, at length gi'ay. Pith dark brown, diaphragmed. Leaf-scars ele- 

 vated, obcordate, hairy fringed on the upper margin, with 3 equidistant 

 U-shaped clusters of bundle-sears. Terminal buds truncate, V2-% of an 

 inch long, the outer scales lobed. Lateral buds smaller, ovate, blunt, often 

 superposed. Staminate catkins preformed the preceding season, appear- 

 ing as scaly, cone-like, lateral buds. Mature bark light gray, %-l inch 

 thick, divided by deep fissures into broad ridges scaly on the surface. 



Habitat — Prefers rich, moist soils. Frequent along fences and roads, stream 

 courses, in pastures and low moist woods, or on rocky hills. 



Range — New Brunswick and Quebec through Ontario, Mame to Minnesota, 

 south to Delaware, northern Georgia, and northeastern Arkansas. Com- 

 mon in the lowland forests of the northeast, rare south of the Ohio basin. 

 Zones A, B, and C. 



Uses — Not an important timber species. Wood light, soft, weak, rather 

 coarse-grained, easily worked and polished, light brown darkening with 

 exposure, with thin,' light sapwood. Used occasionally for interior and 

 cabinet work. The oily and nutritious nuts could no doubt be greatly 

 improved by selection. " The bark and husk of the nuts contain a yellow 

 dye. 



