ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM^ PART III. 



other DUSta, or .u-orns ; the only gpeciec that was known to the Romans having been the 

 ii rdgia, or common walnut tree. 



Description. Large trees, with pinnate leaves, coarse-grained wood, and 

 fruit, in one species at least, mueh esteemed at the dessert, and valuable for the 

 oil w hicfa it contains. 



i, serai Obst'ri'ations. The trees belonging to this order bear, with only 

 two or three exceptions, so close a resemblance to one another in their 

 young state (in which state alone most of them are to be seen in Britain), 

 that we have been unable to satisfy ourselves as to what are species, and what 

 are only varieties. In pursuance of our idea, that no plant can be truly a 

 species, that is not readily distinguished from every other, in every stage of 

 its growth, and at every season of the year, we should say that there were 

 not more than two species of walnut hitherto discovered, either in Europe or 

 America; via. ./nglans regia and ,/. nigra: and three species of C'arya; viz. C. 

 amara, Clacinidsa, and ('. squamosa. We submit this opinion, however, with 

 great deference, having formed it chiefly from inspecting the young plants in the 

 1 lorticultural Society's Garden, in the collection of Messrs. Loddiges, and from 

 observing the great variety of foliage distinguishable in a bed of seedlings of any 

 at the American sorts; we shall therefore adopt the descriptions and figures 

 <>f Michaux, and leave the truth to be discovered by time and future observa- 

 tion. Previously to describing the species of the three genera, ,/uglans, C'arya, 

 and Pterocarya, we shall quote Michaux's introductory observations ; pre- 

 mising that this author includes both ./nglans and Carya under the genus 

 ./nglans; the genus Carya, as we have seen in the generic characters above, 

 having been separated from /uglans by Nuttall, chiefly on account of a tech- 

 nical distinction in the fruit. " The walnuts of North America," Michaux ob- 

 eerves, " appear to present characters so distinct, as to require their division 

 into two sections. These characters consist principally in the form of the bar- 

 ren amenta, or male catkins ; and in the greater or less rapidity of growth in the 

 trees. The first section is composed of walnuts with single aments, and in- 

 cludes two American species: the black walnut (./nglans nigra L., fig. 1260. in 

 p. I I. a;. ), and the bntter-nut (./. cinerea £., fig. 1262. in p. 1439.); to which is 

 added the European walnut (./. regia L., fig. 1257. in p. 1425.). The second 

 section consists of such as have compound aments, and comprises eight spe- 

 Ctes : the pacane-nut hickory (C'arya olivaefonnis Ntttt., fig. 1263. in p. 1442.), 

 the bitter-nut hickory (C amara Nut/.., fig. 1264. in p. 1443.), water bitter- 

 nut hickory (C. aquatics Null.., fig. 1265. in p. 1444.), mocker-nut hickory 

 (('. tomentosa X/tt/., fig. 1267. in p. 1445), shell-bark hickory (C alba 

 A'////., fig. \2V><). in p. 1446.), thick shell-bark hickory (C. sulcata Nutt. t 

 fig. 12*3 I. in p.lllf).), pig-nut hickory [C. porcina NutL, fig. 1273. in p.1450.), 

 and nutmeg hickory (C. myristicsefdrmis Nutt., fig. 1275. in p. 1451.). The first 

 th ice species of the second section bear some relation to those of the first 

 in their buds, which are not covered with scales. For this reason, 1 have 

 placed them immediately next, beginning with the pacane-nut hickory, which, 

 b\ its numerous leaflets, most nearly resembles the black walnut and the 

 butter-nut, the buds of which are also uncovered. Throughout the United 

 , the common name of hickory is given to all the species of the second 

 section. This common appellation is due to certain properties of their 

 wood ; \iz. coar en< of grain, and a reddish colour in the hear wood, 

 which, however modified, art; possessed by them all, in a greater degree than 

 by any other tree of Europe or America. These species exhibit, also, a 

 ng analog) in their forms and in their leaves, though they differ in the 



number and size of their leaflets. To these sources of confusion must be 



added another in tin; fruit, which is often so various in its appearance, that it 



Ice the species to which it. belongs. It. is not,, then, on the 

 most remarkable differences alone that our distinctions must be founded; 



< i, net also be had to an examination of the shoots of the preceding 

 .,1 tie buds, and of tin: aments." (Mid/.r. No//// Amcr. Si/lvtt y vol. i. 



p. 139 



