Handbook: of Trees of the !N"oetiiei;x States and Canada. 



63 



A tieu ^olnetiult:'s attaining the height of 

 90 or lOU ft. with trunk 3 ft. in thickness, 

 tliuugh usually consitlerably smaller. When 

 isolated from other trrcs it develops an oblong 

 or rather wide- topped head with strong up- 

 right lateral and peiidunt lower branches. 

 The bark of trunk is (if a gray culor, rough 

 with obscure scaly ridges. It is more com- 

 monly found on hilhsiih's and ridges than is 

 Ihr lUg Sh(dl-i)ark, which it leaxes to the in- 

 undated ri\('r huttunis and rarely invades its 

 territur}'. In the nurthern part of its range 

 it is mainly (.-onfined to the coast region where 

 it associates -with the various Oaks, Red 

 Cedar. Sassafras. Sweet Birch, Sweet Gum, 

 Tulip, etc. To the southward it is more abun- 

 dant and more generally distributed. 



The wood of the -Mocker-nut is hea.^y. a 

 cubic foot when absolutely dry weighing 51.21 

 lbs., strong and tough, and is used in the 

 manufacture of tool-ha]idles, a,!>-ricultural im- 

 plements, etc., and is excellent for fuel.- The 

 nuts command about the same price in the 

 trade as those of the liig ShelMiark. 



Lravcs 8-in ia. long, fragrant when crushed, 

 ■u'ith stellate pubescent petioles and 7-9 oI)I<)n<^- 

 lanceolate to obovate acuminate serrate leaMets 

 which are lustrous dark ureen above and paler and 

 pubescent beneath ; twif;'s tomentosc : bnd-scalos 

 imbricated, the outer early deciduous, the inner 

 tomcntosc and accrescent. Floircrs in May ; 

 staminate in stellate pubescent aments : calyx 

 with central lobe linear and much longer than the 

 lateral ones ; stamens 4 with red anthers : i)is- 

 tillate in 2-r)-flowered spikes. FniH Klohose-oblong, 

 l',/;-2 in. long, with thick busk splitting nearly to 

 the base : nut brownish white, variable in shape, 

 4-ridged with very thick shell and sweet seed. 



1. Syn. Canja toincntoi>a Nutt. 



2. A. W., IV- 00. 



