58 
The species of this genus are very variable, and it is acknowledged 
that the present treatment of the genus is not satisfactory. A full 
understanding of the genus in Indiana would require much field 
study and more herbarium material than is available at the present 
time. 
1. Hicoria Pecan (Marshall) Britton. Pecan. (Carya illino- 
ensis (Wangenheim) K. Koch.) Plate 26. Bark tight, rather 
deeply fissured, ridges narrow, high up on old trees becoming some- 
what scaly, light brown tinged with red; twigs at first hairy, becom- 
ing smooth or nearly so and reddish-brown by the end of the season; 
the terminal winter buds compressed, about 12 mm. (1% inch) long, 
covered with yellowish scales, the lateral buds much smaller; leaves 
3-5 dm. (12-20 inches) long; leaflets 9-17, ovate to oblong lanceolate, 
somewhat curved backward, 7-15 em. (234-6 inches) long, rounded 
or wedge-shaped at the unequal base, long taper-pointed at the 
apex, short stalked, hairy when they unfold, becoming at maturity 
smooth or nearly so, a dark green above and a yellow green beneath; 
staminate catkins sessile or nearly so; fruit in clusters of 3-11, ob- 
long, 3.5-6 em. (134-234 inches) long, the sutures of the husk split- 
ting to below the middle; nut ovoid to ovoid oblong, reddish-brown. 
Distribution. In the Mississippi Valley from Iowa south to Ala- 
bama and Texas. In Indiana it is found only in the southwestern 
part of the State. In our area it is generally confined to the low 
lands of the water courses, following the Wabash River up as far 
as four miles south of Covington in Fountain County*, the Ohio River 
up as far as Jefferson County, the south fork of White River up 
as far as Seymour in Jackson County and the north fork up as far 
as Greene County. It is frequent to very common in the lower 
Wabash bottoms, diminishing in numbers as the water courses are 
ascended. 
The published records of the distribution are as follows: 
Delaware, Jay, Randolph and Wayne (Phinney)**; Franklin 
(Meyncke) ***; Gibson (Schneck); Jefferson (Young); Knox 
(Thomas); Posey (Schneck); Vigo (Blatchley). 
Additional records are: Posey (Deam) and (Wright). 
Economic uses. Wood heavy, hard, not strong and light reddish- 
brown. The wood is the least valuable of all the hickories, al- 
though commercially it is frequently classed with the other hick- 
ories. Uses same as that of the other hickories. The nuts are an 
important article of commerce. 
*Ind. Geol. Rept. 11:122, pub. 1882. 
**Mr. Phinney says this was an error. 
***No doubt from a cultivated tree. 
