HICKORY. 245 
Hicoria minima. (Caryva 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 vellowish, 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 TW’ood.—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 that of 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. 
