Handbook of Tkeks oi.- tiie Xok'tukr^' States and Canada. 55 



Tlie Water Hickory is economically the least 

 iiupurtunt of llie Hickories. It is usually a 

 small or uieiliiun-size tree froiji 50 to 70 ft. 

 iu liciylil. Out in fori'sts of the hottom-lands 

 of the Iciwcr .Mississippi \ullcy it attains tlie 

 heiyiit of SO-IOO ft. with straight columnar 

 trunk --liVii ft. in ilianii'ter, and narrow ir- 

 regular top. When isolated it dex'clops an 

 oblong or ob(t\"oid top of long rigid branches 

 of which the lowermost are drooping. 



As its name implies it is distinctly a water- 

 loving tree, l)eing confined mostly to low 

 swamps in the southern states, inundated dur- 

 ing a considerafilc |)orlion of the }'ear, in com- 

 pany with the I'lancr tree, Swamp Privet, 

 Water Locust, Water and Pumpkin Aslies, 

 Cotton Gum, Picd Titi, f'ypress. Red Maple, 

 etc. Its dark-cohn-eil angular nnts possess a 

 kernel usually ton astringent and bitter to be 

 eaten, but I have seen a tree of this species 

 in southeastern Arkansas yielding nuts of 

 sweet delicious flavor. 



The wood of the Water llii-kory is heavy, a 

 cubic foot weighing 40. Hi lbs., hard and lirittle, 

 suitable chiefly for fuel. In sectioning tliis 

 wood we ha\e found it to be permeated witli 

 nimierous dark-colored flecks and streaks of 

 some substance of such hardness as to turn 

 the edge of the hardest steel. - 



Leaves .S-ir; in. k.DK, wilh slender scurf,v-pubes- 

 cent petiole and lachis and U-i;; lance-ovate leaf- 

 lets the lateral more (..r less falcate, sessile, 

 usually unequally wedi^e-shapcd al" base, acuminate. 

 2-5 in. long, thinnlsh, glandular-dotted, glabrous 

 dark green abovr-. Floiccr.'^: stamlnate aments 

 glandular-pubescent ; calyx-lobes about erpial. 

 Fruit compressed, obovold-nblnng. cnramonly ob- 

 llque wilh n-in^ed sutures, thin yellowish pubes- 

 cent husk and flattened brown nrominenlly ridced 

 nut and very rugose thin shell much convoluted 

 and usually bitter kernel. 



1. Caryn aqiiativa Nutt. 



2. A. W., V, ll.'".. 



h^'oJ T—A ^ 



