Butternut 



217 



■ Butternut. 



attains a maximum height of 30 meters, with a trunk diameter of i m. It is also 

 known as White wahiut and Wahiut. 



The trunk is usually divided at or below the middle into outspreading branches, 

 forming a broad round-topped tree. The bark 

 is 18 to 25 mm. thick, deeply furrowed into flat 

 ridges, which are divided into close plates of a 

 brown color; that of younger stems is smooth and 

 grayish. The twigs Are stout, pithy, rusty brown- 

 hairy, gradually becoming smooth, green or yel- 

 lowish brown, somewhat shining and marked by 

 large leaf-scars. The terminal winter buds are 

 12 to 18 mm. long, obliquely flattened above, 

 blunt, and covered by hairy scales; the lateral 

 buds are much smaller. The leaves are 3 to 6 

 dm. long, including the hairy leaf-stalk. There 

 are II to 17 leaflets; these are short-stalked, lan- 

 ceolate to oblong, 6 to 12 cm. long, the central 

 pairs somewhat the longest, sharp or taper- 

 pointed, unequally rounded at the base, sharply 

 toothed on the margin; the terminal leaflet is ^'°" ^''^' 



often long-stalked; they are thin, yellowish green, and wrinkled, viscid-hairy at first 

 but becoming quite smooth above, paler and softly hairy, with prominent lighter 

 colored venation beneath. The flowers appear when the leaves are partly grown, 

 the staminate in cylindric catkins 6 to 15 cm. long, their bracts brownish 

 hairy on the outer surface; perianth 6 mm. long, mostly 5-lobed; stamens 8 to 12, 

 their anthers dark brown. The pistillate flowers are several together in spicate 

 clusters, narrowed beneath the calyx, about 8 mm. long; stigmas 12 mm. long, 

 slender, bright red. The fruits ripen several together; they are oblong-cylindric, 

 8 to 12 cm. long, 2- or 4-ridged, pointed at the apex, rounded at the base, very viscid, 

 with rusty brown hairs. The husk is thin and dryish; nut ovoid-oblong, ab- 

 ruptly taper-pointed, rounded at the base, broadly 2-ridged, with two less prom- 

 inent ridges between, longitudinally deeply and irregularly sculptured, Ught brown, 

 2-celled at the base, i -celled above, the cavity extending into the tapering apex; 

 its wall is hard, about 6 mm. thick, with internal cavities; seed sweet, edible; coty- 

 ledons oblong, sharply ridged on the outer side, somewhat grooved on the iimer. 



The wood is soft, weak, rather close-grained, and hght brown; its specific gravity 

 is about 0.41. It is much used for furniture and in cabinet-work. The inner bark, 

 which is white, becoming yellow and finally brown on drying, is cathartic and 

 much employed by some physicians. The sap produces a good sugar. The 

 fresh bark and husks yield a yellow dye. The nut is largely used in some 

 sections while fresh but becomes rancid quickly. 



It is a handsome shade tree and would be a great iavorite if it leaved out 

 earlier and retained its foUage longer in the autumn. 



