State Board of Forestry. 135 



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 v^rould 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 narrov^, 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. (3^ 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 cm. (2^-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 cm. (1^-23/^ 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 3ays this was an error. 

 ***No doubt from a cultivated tree. 



