


ALMOND VARIETIES IN THE UNITED STATES 119 
Wood tough. Nodes small. Internodes medium in length (4 to 14 inches). 
Bark tough, bright light green, upper side turning brownish or reddish in fall. 
Lenticels.—Scant to medium in number, average below medium; size large 
but vary much (on bark 8 to 10 years old, 7s by is to #: by 2 inch; average, 
32 by 4 inch); shape, oblong-elliptical with acute ends; extreme apexes fre- 
quently shortly acuminate; gray, raised, usually rather smooth with line 
through center longitudinally. On young bark lenticels quite large, but fre- 
quently rendered inconspicuous by gray epidermis. 
Foliage.—Below average density on individual branches, which are feathery 
in appearance due to numerous small twigs. Leaves curl and twist slightly. 
Blade: Size variable, small to large (4 by 2 to 1% by 44 inches; average 
medium, # by 3 inches); narrow and long when mature (ratio of width to 
length, about 1:4), but some very short, wide leaves are always present; 
elliptical or ovate, Sometimes obovate. (Base rather acute, origin of margins 
slightly unsymmetrical.) Apex widely acute, extreme tip frequently shortly 
acuminate. Margins rather coarsely crenate; sometimes serrate; basal crena- 
tions or serrations sometimes much larger and longer than others. Upper sur- 
face of blade bright light green, appearing slightly yellowish in bright light. 
Under surface lighter than upper. Midrib rather small, prominent. Veins 
distinct. 
Petiole: Somewhat variable in length, average medium for size of blade 
(? inch; ratio of length of petiole to length of blade, about 1:4); average 
slender, fairly rigid. Groove wide and deep. Glands two to eight, generally 
four or more. Lower crenations on blade frequently glandular, yellowish 
brown, medium size, globular or oval. 
Bearing habit——Averages fair crops. Bears on spurs mostly on wood 2 to 4 
years old. Nuts often borne in pairs. Some compound spurs. Spurs long (4 
to 2 inch), medium in diameter (4 inch) ; expand suddenly to quite large and 
nearly round disk 7s to + inch in diameter. Buds usually free, but sometimes 
slightly appraised, long, narrow, tapering; scales reddish brown, very thin, 
with small amount of short pubescence on edges. 
Immature nut.—Size averages medium (1f by 1 by % inches). Shape plump, 
long-oval (part to ventral side of axis long elliptical, part to dorsal side long- 
oblong). (KHdgewise view long-oval or long-ovate.) Ventral edge gently 
curved; sloping at base and apex; ventral ridge absent or only slightly sug- 
gested; ventral suture very shallow (¢% inch) and narrow (7s inch). Dorsal 
edge nearly straight, sometimes ridged at shoulder. Base pointed, lightly 
grooved; cavity narrow (4 inch), shallow (3% inch). Apex pointed, round; 
suture deeper at apex than elsewhere; style drops early; rudiment small. 
Hull: Outer surface green, retaining color well through dehiscence, finally 
turning yellowish green; pubescence abundant, medium in coarseness, rather 
short, gray, woolly. Inner surface green as dehiscence starts, turning gradu- 
ally to dark brown, frequently with gray patches. Dehisces first on ventral 
edge, then as a rule from apex upward on dorsal edge; frequently ventral or 
oblique cracks appear on sides of hull near apex; the halves remain remark- 
ably flat for some time, finally curling inward at apexes and along ventral 
edges. Nuts are somewhat difficult to harvest, as they hang rather tenaciously 
to twigs. Ripens August 5 to September 10. 
Hulled nut.—(Pl. XIII, H.) Size medium to quite large (averages 13 by 
43 by & inches). Number of nuts to the pound, 140 to 190. Percentage of 
kernel to shell in hand-cracked samples, 58. 
Shape: Rather plump; long ovoid, with bluntly pointed base and apex. 
Ventral edge very plump, gently curved in middle, curve increasing toward 
base and apex; flange rather thick, tapering bluntly to sharp edge; flange 
and wing medium in prominence, less prominent at extreme apex than else- 
where; wing thin. Dorsal edge gently curved, thick, plump; dorsal ridge wide 
but not prominent; dorsal suture frequently distinct. Base slightly con- 
stricted in all directions, tapering; dorsal shoulder drops off suddenly from 
edge of stem scar. Stem scar small to medium in size, round or wide oval, at 
right angles to axis or slightly sloping either ventrally or dorsally. Apex 
usually plump but tapering and bluntly pointed; dorsal edge curves sharply at 
apex; curve of ventral edge increases gradually from middle to extreme apex. 
Shell: Color varies from light grayish brown to very dark brown, usually 
rather dark brown; soft, can be cracked with the fingers; outer shell spongy 
and soft. Pits numerous, small to medium in size, rather shallow. Surface 
of shell between pits finely stippled. Fine grooves on ventral edge and base. 
Canals large oval, medium in number. Network of fibers coarse. Fibers large. 
eS 
