Handbook of Trees of the Xortpierx States axd ( 'axada. 



The Bitter-nut Ilif-kory wlien growing in the 

 fore:^ts on moist bottom hinds 0(.-c;isi(jii;il ly at- 

 titins the height of 100 ft., and \\h*-n growin,^' 

 apart from other trees develops a well rtninded 

 but often irregular top of handsome foliage. 

 Its straight columnar trunk is sometimes 2 

 or 3 ft. in diameter and \(.'stL*d in a character- 

 istic brownish gray bark with close scaly al- 

 most reticulate ridges. Jt thrives best in low 

 moist soil in cunijjany with the Silver and Reil 

 Maples, Black Ash, Elms, etc., but is often 

 found also on rolling uplands. Being very iiardy 

 and less fastidious than the other Hickories 

 in cunditions of soil in which it gn.iws, it is 

 more uniform in its distribution and proba!>Iy 

 the most abundant representative of its genus. 

 Its wood is heaAy, a cui)ic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry weighing 47.00 lbs., hard and strong 

 and is valued for tool handles, agricultural 

 implements, hoops, ox-yokes, etc., and makes 

 an excellent fuel.- 



Leaves G-10 in. long, pubescent when younK, 

 with rather slrndcr petioh'S, Icflets 7-11, sessili', 

 lancpolatc to ohovate. 2-0 in. long, thin and firm. 

 usually unequal at basp. coarsely serrate, long 

 tapi'r-pointcd. dark grorn and glabrous abov'\ 

 piihcscnt beneath ; winter buds bright yellow, 

 compressed, with 2 pairs of vah'atc caducous 

 srales. Flower.-^ (May-June); staminate aments 

 2-4 in. long, slightly pnliesceot : calyx-lobes about 

 equal but middle one narrower : stamens 4 ; an- 

 thers yellow, deeply erraarginate. Fruit subglo- 

 bijse to obovoid. %-l Vo iQ- ''^QS with 4 sutures 

 prominently winged from a|K.'X to about the 

 middle ; husk thin, tardily dehiscent ; nut thin- 

 shell. -d, (■ompressed. often broader than long; seed 

 rc'blish hrown. deeply rugose and very bitter. 



1. Syn. Carya amara Nutt. 



2. A. W., I J, ;'>7. 



3. For genus see pp. 423-424. 



