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HAZELNUT. 

 Corylus americana, Walter. 



GENUS DESCRIPTION— The Hazlenuts comprise about 7 known species, of which numbe 

 about 3 species are native to North America and 2 to Pennsylvania. The members of tW 

 genus are usually shrubs, rarely trees, found in the northern hemisphere. They do not pre 

 duoe wood of any commercial importance, but their fruit, which is a nut, is very common in 

 markets. The nuts are sold under the name Hazelnuts or Filberts. 



• FORM — A shrub or small tree reaching a height of 3-8 feet. Occurs in clumps and ofte 

 forms thickets. 



BARK — Rather smooth, thin, dark brown, sometimes roughened with shallow longitudina 

 fissures. 



TWIGS — Smooth but marked with a few scattered lenticels, and covered with numerou 

 pinkish hairs which usually stand at right angles to the twigs; gray to russet-brown in coloi 



BUDS — Alternate, ovate to globular, reddish-brown, somewhat hairy, covered with abon 

 S-6 scales with haiiy and slightly glandular margins. 



LEAVES — Alternate, simple, ovate, obtuse or heart-shaped at base, acute at apex, serrate 

 margin, smopth on uppei surface and slightly hairy on lower surface. 



LEAF-SCARS — Alternate, semi-circular to globular, raised, with scattered bundle-scars usuall 

 5-10 in number. 



FLOWERS — Appear in April or May before the leaves. Staminate occur in catkins wMc 

 usually appear before the leaves at the end of the twigs of the previous season's growth an 

 are from 3-4 inches long. Pistillate small, develop from short scaly buds, with long, slendei 

 projecting, crimson stigmas. 



FRUIT — A pale brown ovoid nut about i of an inch long, slightly flattened, somewhat roughene 

 at base where the involucre Is attached. Involucre consists of two leafy bractlets which 

 distinct in the Common Hazelnut and united into a tubular beak in the Beaked Hazelnul 

 Ripens in July and August. Kernel sweet and edible. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS— The Hazelnut, also known as American Haze 

 and Filbert, can be recognized by its characteristic fruit, which consists of a nut with 

 leafy involucre of 2 distinct bracts. The closely related Benked Hazelnut (Corylus rostra ta, Ait, 

 has its bracts united and much prolonged into a narrow tubular beak. The young twi 

 are covered with numerous somewhat glandular pinkish hairs. The staminate flowers, occurri 

 in catkins which develop somewhat in autumn and then remain dormant over winter, 

 characteristic. The partially developed staminate aments are often abnormal and twist 

 due to the attack of some organic agent. 



RANGE — Maine and Ontario, south to Florida and Kansas. The Beaked Hazelnut ranj 

 from Quebec to British Columbia, south to Georgia and Mi 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA— Both species are found locally throughout the Sta; 



HABITAT — Both species frequent the border of woodlands, hillsides, thickets, and I 

 stone fences. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES — These shrubs do not produce any wood of commerc 

 importance, but yield valuable and greatly prized nuts. The nuts are common on 

 markets. Both species are very attractive and planted extensively for ornamental purposes. 



