Engravings. our fig. 1263. Spec. Char., &c. Leaflets, in a leaf, 13-15; ovate-lanceolate, serrate; lateral ones nearly sessile, and somewhat falcate. Fruit oblong, widest above the middle. Fruit and nut each with four angles in its transverse outline. Nut in form and? size, compared with the fruit of the olive, narrowly elliptical. (Michx. N. A. S.) Native to North America, on the banks of the Ohio, Mississippi, and other rivers in Upper Louisiana; where it flowers in April and May. Introduced in 1766. Gærtn. Sem., 2. t. 89.; Michx. Arb., 1. t. 3.; North Amer. Sylva, 1. t. 32. ; and Description. In America, this species forms a beautiful tree, with a regular trunk, reaching to the height of 60 ft. or 70 ft. The buds, like those of J. nìgra and J. cinèrea, are smooth and uncovered. The leaves are from 12 in. to 18 in. in length; the petioles are somewhat angular; and the leaflets are sessile, and composed of 6 or 7 pairs, terminated by a petiolated odd one, which is somewhat smaller than the pair immediately preceding it. The leaflets, on flourishing trees, are from 2 in. to 3 in. long; ovate, serrated, and remarkable for the circular form of the upper edge, while the lower one is less rounded. The main rib is not exactly in the middle of the leaflet. The nuts, which are usually abundant, are contained in a husk from 1 line to 2 lines thick, and have 4 slightly prominent angles, which correspond to the divisions of the kernel. They vary in length from 1 in. to 1 in.; are pointed at the extremities, 1263 of a cylindrical form, and of a yellowish colour, marked at the period of perfect maturity, with blackish or purple lines. The shell is smooth and thin, but too hard to be broken by the fingers. The kernel is full, and, not being divided by ligneous partitions, is easily extracted, and of an agreeable taste. The wood is coarse-grained, and, like that of the other hickories, is heavy and compact, possessing great strength and durability. The nuts, which are very agreeable, are exported to the West Indies, and to the ports of the United States; and Michaux considers them to be more delicately flavoured than any of the nuts of Europe. There are some varieties, he says, the fruit of which is far superior to that of the European walnut. C. olivæformis is a native of Upper Louisiana; and it abounds on the borders of the rivers Missouri, Illinois, St. Francis, Arkansas, and Wabash. On the Ohio, it is found for 200 miles from its junction with the Mississippi; higher than which it becomes rare, and is not seen beyond Louisville, nor beyond the mouth of the Great Mackakity, in lat. 42° 51". It grows naturally in cold and wet soils. There is a swamp of 800 acres on the right bank of the Ohio, opposite to the river Cumberland, called by the French La Pacanière, which is said to be entirely covered with it. Dumont De Courset, in his Botaniste Cultivateur (vol. vi. p. 237.), says that his brother, who had served in the army of Washington in 1782, told him that "that celebrated general had always his pockets full of these nuts, and that he was continually cating them." There are trees in France, Michaux observes in 1819, which have been planted more than thirty years, but which do not yield fruit. He recommends the grafting of this species on the common walnut. In the neighbourhood of London, there are trees in the Horticultural Society's Garden, and in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges, upwards of 20 ft. high; and accounts have been sent us of some other trees of a greater size; but, though we have seen some of them at Purser's Cross and other places, we are so doubtful of their identity with the kind above described by Michaux, that we can assert nothing certain respecting them. There is a tree in the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, which is 30 years planted, and 30 ft. high; diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 22 ft. 2. C. AMA`RA Nutt. The bitter-nut Carya, or Hickory. Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. Pl., 2. p. 222. Synonymes. Juglans amara Micha. Arb., 1. p. 170., North Amer. Sylva, 1. p. 170., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 638.; Bitter nut, White Hickory, Swamp Hickory, Amer. Engravings. Michx. North Amer. Sylva, 1. t. 33. ; and our fig. 1264. Spec. Char., &c. Leaflets, in a leaf, 7—9; ovate-oblong, acuminate, serrate with deep teeth, glabrous; lateral ones sessile. Sets of catkins in pairs. Fruit roundish-ovate, bearing, in its upper half, 4 wing-like ridges; husk thin and fleshy, softening and decaying, and never becoming ligneous, as in the other species. Nut subglobose, broader than long, tipped with a mucro. Seed bitter. (Michx. N. A. S., Pursh Fl. A. S.) A native of North America, in dry woods in fertile soil, from New England to Maryland, on the mountains; flowering in April. Introduced in 1800. Description, &c. The bitter-nut hickory grows to a very large size in America; Michaux having measured trees in that country 70 ft. or 80 ft. high, with trunks from 3 ft. to 4 ft. in diameter. The leaves, which unfold a fortnight 1264 later than those of any other species, are from 12 in. to 15 in. in length, and nearly as much in breadth. Each leaf is composed of 3 or 4 pairs of leaflets, terminated by an odd one, which is larger than the rest." The leaflets are about 6 in. in length, and 1 in. in breadth; sessile, oval-acuminate, deeply toothed, smooth, and of a pretty dark green. When the tree has shed its leaves, it may still be distinguished by its yellow and naked buds." (Michx. N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 171.) The peduncles of the barren flowers are in pairs, each supporting three flexible and pendulous catkins, which are attached to the base of the shoots of the same season; at the extremities of which are the female flowers, which are inconspicuous. The fruit is very small, and produced in great abundance. The husk, which is thin, fleshy, and surmounted on its upper half by 4 appendages in the form of wings, never becomes ligneous, like those of the other hickories, but softens and decays. The shell is smooth, white, and thin enough to be broken with the fingers; the kernel is remarkable for the deep inequalities produced on every side by its foldings. It is so harsh and bitter, that squirrels and other animals will not feed upon it while any other nut is to be found. (Michx.) The bitter-nut hickory is a native of New Jersey and the Illinois, where it grows only in spots where the soil is excellent, cool, and frequently inundated by creeks and rivers. "It is probably because it thrives most in such situations, that it is called the swamp hickory." (Id.) In some parts of Pennsylvania, an oil is made from the nuts. The wood resembles that of the other species of hickory; but it is very inferior to them. There is a tree of this species at Croome, in Worcestershire, which has been 30 years planted, and is 40 ft. high. 3. C. AQUA'TICA Nutt. The aquatic Carya, or Water Bitter-nut Hickory. Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. Pl., 2. p. 222. Synonyme. Juglans aquática Michx. Arb., 1. p. 182., North Amer. Sylva, 1. p. 174., Pursh Fl. Leaflets, in a leaf, 9-11; narrowly lanceolate, serrate. Very similar to the leaves of the peach tree (Pérsica vulgaris Mil.); the lateral ones sessile. Fruit peduncled, ovate, with 4 rather prominent ridges at the seams of the husk. Nut broadly oval, angular, a little depressed at the sides, roughish, reddish. (Michx. N. A. S., Pursh Fl. Am. S.) A native of North America, in swamps and rice fields, from South Carolina to Georgia; flowering in April. Introduced in 1800. Description, &c. The water bitter-nut hickory is a tree of 40 ft. or 50 ft. high, with rather slender branches. "Its leaves are 8 in. or 9 in. long, and of a beautiful green: they are composed of 4 or 5 pairs of sessile leaflets, sur mounted by a petiolated odd one." (Michx.) The leaflets are serrated, long in proportion to their breadth, and very similar to the leaves of a peach tree. The husk is thin; and the nuts are small, somewhat rough, of a reddish colour, and very tender. The kernel is in folds, and too bitter to be eatable. This species is found in the southern states, in swamps, and in the ditches which surround rice fields; it appearing to require a great deal of warmth and moisture. The wood is light, weak, and very far inferior to every other kind of hickory. There are plants in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges; and a tree at Milford, near Godalming, between 40 ft. and 50 ft. high. 4. C. TOMENTO'SA Nutt. The tomentose Carya, or Mocker-nut Hickory. Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. Pl., 2. p. 221. Synonymes. Juglans álba Lin. Sp. Pl., 1415., according to Willd. Sp. Pl., in Pursh's Flora, this is referred to J. álba Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., C. álba Nutt.; J. alba Mill. Dict., No. 4., Du Roi Harbk., 1. p. 333., Kalm in Act. Holm., 1769, p. 117., Wangh. Amer., 23., Willd. Sp. Pl., 4. p. 457.; J. tomentosa Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 192., Arb., I. p. 186., North Amer. Sylva, 1. p. 176., Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 637.; White-heart Hickory, common Hickory, Amer. ; Noyer dur, Illinois. Engravings. Wangh. Amer., 2, 3. t. 10. f. 22.; Michx. Arb., 1. t. 6.; North Amer. Sylva, 1. t. 35. ; and our fig. 1267. Spec. Char., &c. Petiole downy beneath. lanceolate, serrate with shallow teeth; ones sessile. Catkin very tomentose. depressions in the husk at the sutures; Leaflets, in a leaf, 7-9; obovatedowny and rough beneath; lateral Fruit, on some trees, globose, with on other trees, oblong, with angles at the sutures. Nut with 4-6 angles in its transverse outline, having a short capitate beak at the tip. Shell somewhat channeled. (Michx. N.A.S., Pursh Fl. A. S.) A native of North America, in forests where the soil is fertile, from New England to Virginia, and on the Alleghany Mountains. (Pursh.) Introduced in ? 1766. Variety. † C. t. 2 máxima Nutt., Sweet's Hort. Brit., ed. 1830.- Leaflets 7 in a leaf, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, serrulate; beneath, softly pubescent, and of a paler colour; terminal leaflet subpetiolate. Fruit partly globose, of nearly twice the size ordinary in the species; as large as an apple. Husk exceedingly thick. Nut quadrangular, very large, having a thick shell, and a mucro that is prominent, quadrangular, and truncate at the tip. The kind grows a few miles from Philadelphia. (Nutt. Gen. Ñ. Amer. Pl., ii. p. 221.) Description, &c. The mocker-nut hickory, Michaux informs us, is a tree about 60 ft. in height, and 18 in. or 20 in. in diameter. The buds of this species are large, short, of a greyish white, and very hard. In winter, they afford a character swell, the external scales fall off, and the inner ones burst soon after, and display the young leaf. The leaves grow so rapidly, that Michaux has seen them gain 20 inches in 18 days. "They are composed of 4 pairs of sessile leaflets, ter minated by an odd one. The leaflets are large,ovate-acu 1267 minate, serrate, pretty thick, and hairy underneath, as is the common petiole to which they are attached. With the first frosts, the leaves change to a beautiful yellow, and fall off soon after. The barren flowers appear on pendulous, downy, axillary catkins, 6 in. or 8 in. long; the fertile flowers, which are not very conspicuous, are of a pale rose colour, and are situated at the extremity of the young shoots." (N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 178.) The fruit is ripe in November, and varies very much in size and shape. The shell is very thick, and extremely hard; and the kernel, which is sweet, though small, is so difficult to extract, because of the strong partitions which divide it, as to have given rise to the name of mocker nut. The trunk of the old trees is covered with a thick, hard, rugged bark; and the wood is remarkable for its strength, tenacity, and durability. The heart-wood of the young trees is white; and hence the name of white-heart hickory, by which this tree is known in some parts of America. This tree is found principally in the forests which remain on the coast of the middle states; but it is rarely found in the Carolinas or Georgia, or north of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire. It is the only hickory which springs in the pine barrens. In these extensive tracts, the mocker-nut hickory and the black jack oak (Quercus nigra var. ferruginea) are the only trees to be seen. They survive the conflagrations which almost every year envelope the prairies; but their vegetation is checked by the fire, and they rarely exceed the height of 8 ft. or 10ft. (N. Amer. Syl., i. p. 177.) Of all the hickories, this species is of the slowest growth; a fact, Michaux adds, that he has proved, by planting nuts of the several species together, and comparing the length of their annual shoots. It is, also, more liable to be attacked by worms than any other kind of hickory; especially by the larva of Callídium flexuosum (fig. 1268.), which eats into the body of the tree. 1268 5. C. ALBA Nutt. The white-nutted Carya, or Shell-bark Hickory. Identification. Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. Pl., 2. p. 221. Engravings. Gærtn. Sem. 2. t. 19.; Pluk. Alm., t. 309. f. 2.; Michx. Arb., 1. t. 7.; N. Amer. Sylva, I. t. 36.; Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 148.; our fig. 1269.; and the plate of this tree in our last Vol. Spec. Char., &c. Leaflets, in a leaf, 5-7; oblong-acuminate, argutely serrate; villous beneath; the pair nearest to the base of the petiole rather remote from it; terminal leaflet nearly sessile. Catkin glabrous. Fruit depressedly globose, with 4 longitudinal furrows, in the line of which the husk divides into 4 valves that become wholly separate. Nut compressed, oblique, 4-angled in its transverse outline, white. Bark exfoliating in long narrow strips. (Michx. N. A. S., Pursh Fl. A. S.) A native of North America, in forests where the soil is fertile, from New England to Carolina, and throughout the Alleghany Mountains; and flowering, in America, in April and May. Introduced in 1629. Description, &c. This species, Michaux observes, is named shell-bark, shagbark, or scaly-bark, from the striking appearance of its outer bark, which peels off in long narrow plates, that curl up at their extremities, and only adhere in the middle. Of all the hickories, this species grows to the greatest height, with proportionately the smallest diameter; being sometimes seen 80 ft. or 90 ft. high, with a trunk clear of branches, and not more than 2 ft. in diameter 1269 for three fourths of its length. The buds are formed of scales, closely applied upon one another; the two external ones adhering, though only half the length of the bud; which disposition of the scales is peculiar to C. álba and C. sulcata, and seems to indicate, according to Michaux, the exfoliating character of the epidermis of the bark. When the sap begins to ascend in the spring, the outer scales fall, and the inner ones swell, and become covered with a yellow silky down. After a fortnight, the buds attain the length of 2 in., and the young leaves are protruded. The growth of the leaves is so rapid, that in a month they attain their full length, which, in vigorous trees, is sometimes above 20 in. They consist of 2 pairs of leaflets, with a sessile odd one. The leaflets are very large, oval-acuminate, serrated, and slightly downy underneath. The barren flowers, which, in the state of New York, appear from the 15th to the 20th of May, are disposed on long, glabrous, filiform, pendulous |
