Handbook of Trees of the Koetiiei;x States and Canada. 57 



The stately I'ecan tree is the hirg':-st of the 

 Hickories, attaining sometimes in the forest 

 a lieight of lliO ft., wlien crowded together, 

 with massive trunk 5 or 6 ft. in diameter. 

 When growing apart from other trees it de- 

 velops a very large ovoid or obovoid rounded 

 top, oftentimes seeming out of proportion to 

 the size of its trunk. It prefers low rich 

 ground in the neighljorliood of streams subject 

 to occasional inundation. 



Its wood is hea\-y, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry, weighing 44,75 lbs., rather hard 

 and very tough and tlexil)le, tlmugh not con- 

 sidered as valuable as that of the other 

 Hickories, It is occasionally used in the manu- 

 facture of agricultural implements and is ex- 

 cellent for fuel,-' Its delicious nuts, improved 

 greatly by selection and cultivation, constitute 

 its chief point of value and are an important 

 article of commerce. For the production of 

 these the tree is grown in extensive planta- 

 tions. 



Lean's 12-20 in. Ions with fl-l." lanceolate to 

 lanceolate-oblon.s falcate' subsessile Icatlcts which 

 are lon,g-pointed, inc(|UiIatoraI and rounded or 

 WPd.'je-sbapcd at base : bud-scales few, valvafe, 

 Flowers in early .Tune ; staminate in subsessili> 

 aments, 3-3 in, long; calyx with middle l(jhe 

 linear and much longer than the oljlong lateral 

 lobes. Fruit in clusters of ?.-!!, iihlong-cylinrtric, 

 pointed, 1-2 1(; in, lon.u-, with p]-oniin''nt sutures 

 and thin brittle husk si>litting to tln' base; niit 

 1-2 in. long, i)ointed, with smooth thin brown slu'll 

 with black markings, lliin astringent dissi>pimcnls 

 ond delicious seed, 



1. Syn, Carya olirarfor/nis Nutt, 



2, A, \V,, XI, 267, 



