Handbook of Treies of the Nortjieen States akd Canada. 



49 



The Black Walnut attains the height of 100 

 to lolj ft. in the forests, with a trunk 4-li ft. 

 in diameter, vested in a prominently ridged 

 dark brown bark. Wlien growing apart from 

 surrounding objects it develops a sj'uimetrical 

 rounded top of beautiful foliage. Once an 

 abundant tree and constituting a considerable 

 portion of large tracts of forest, particularly 

 in the great Mississippi Basin, its valuable 

 wood has caused its almost complete destruc- 

 tion as a commercial product. The value of 

 its timber was early recognized, as history 

 tell us that it was an article of e.\port to Eng- 

 land early in the seventeenth century. Of 

 late years new trees are being propagated 

 which eventually will in a measure take the 

 place of the natural forests. 



The heart-wood is of a rich dark brown 

 color, very durable in contact W'ith the soil, 

 and highly prized for furniture, gun-stocks, 

 interior finishing, etc. A cubic foot, when ab- 

 solutely dry, weighs .38.11 lbs. Occasional 

 ■' figured " trees are of almost fabulous valu /.i 

 The nuts of this tree were an important article 

 of food with the Indians and are still gathered 

 for domestic use and the local market. 



Leaves 1-2 ft. long with puberulcnt petioles and 

 l.'!-23 ovatp-lanecolatp inequilateral leaflets, 

 rounded or subcordate at base, serrate, acuminate, 

 pubescent beneath ; petioles puberulent. Flowers 

 (May-.Tunei ; staminate aments stout, 2-4 in. Ions; 

 calyx with 6 nearly orbicular lobes, pubescent out- 

 side ; bracts nearly triangular, rusty tomentose ; 

 stampns 20-RO ; pistillate in 2-.'i-flowered spikes, 

 glandular-hairy bracts and pale reddish' green 

 plumose stigm'a. Frvit solitary or in clusters of 

 2 or :i, subglobose, light yellow-green, papdlcsc ; 

 nut round-oyal, compressed, sculptured, 4-ceUed at 

 base : seed oily, edible.^ 



1. A. W., ir, ?>7j. 



2. For genus see p. 45:1. 







