Handbook of Teees of the ISToetheen States and Canada. 



The stately Fecan tree is the largsst of tiie 

 Hickories, attaining soraetimss in the forest 

 a height of IBO ft., when 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 neighborhood of streams subject 

 to occasional inundation. 



Its wood is heavy, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry, weighing 44.75 lbs., rather hard 

 and very tough and flexible, though 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 selp.tion 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. 



Lravrs 12-20 in. long with O-l.'i lanceolate to 

 lanceolate-oblons" falcate subsessile leaflets which 

 are long-pointed, inequilateral and rounded or 

 wedge-shaped at base : bud-scales few, valvate. 

 Floiccrs in early .Tune ; staminate in subsessile 

 aments, 8-.") in. long : calyx with middle lobe 

 linear and much longer than the oblong lateral 

 lobes. Fniif in clusters of H-11. oblong-cylindric, 

 pointed, 1-2 Vj in. long, with prominent sutures 

 and thin brittle husk splitting to the base; nut 

 1-2 in. long, pointed, witli smooth thin brown shell 

 with black markings, thin astringent dissepiments 

 and delicious seed. 



1. Syn. Carya oUiacformis Nutt. 



2. A. W., XI, 267. 



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