JUGLANDACEE—WALNUT FAMILY 
BLACK WALNUT 
Jiglans nigra 
Juglans is contracted from Jovis, Jove’s, and glans a mast, or 
acorn; and was applied by the Roman writers to this tree on 
account of the excellence of its fruit as food, compared with other 
masts or acorns; the only species that was known to the Romans 
having been the /uglans regia, the tree bearing the walnut of 
commerce. 
Generally distributed, least common in the Atlantic states, 
abundant in the middle Mississippi valley. Prefers rich bottom 
lands and fertile hillsides. Deep perpendicular roots; grows 
slowly ; reaches the height of one hundred feet with a trunk four to 
six feet in diameter. Bark and husk contain tannic acid. 
Bark.—Dark brown, slightly tinged with red, deeply divided into 
broad rounded ridges, broken on the surface into thick scales, 
Branchlets hairy, dull orange brown, later becoming darker brown. 
Winter Buds.—Terminal buds ovate, slightly flattened, one-third 
of an inch long, covered with silky tomentum. Axillary buds obtuse, 
one-eighth of an inch long, covered with silky tomentum ; two to four 
together. 
Wood. —Dark purplish brown; heavy, hard, close-grained, strong. 
Very durable in contact with the soil; used for furniture, interior 
finishing of houses, gunstocks. Sp. gr., 0.6115; weight of cu. ft., 
38.11 lbs. 
Leaves.—Alternate, compound, unequally pinnate, often equally 
pinnate, one to two feet long. Fifteen to twenty-three leaflets. 
Leaflets ovate-lanceolate, three to three and a half inches in length, 
often unequal at base, serrate, long-pointed, and sessile on the cen- 
tralstem. They come out of the bud shining, yellow green, smooth 
above, tomentose beneath, when full grown are thin, bright yellow 
green, smooth. In autumn they turn bright yellow and fall early. 
Petioles minutely downy. 
26g 
