Pecan

Pecan ( Carya illinoinensis )

The pecan ( Carya illinoinensis ), a different notation is Pecannussbaum, is a species of hickory ( Carya ) within the family of the walnut family ( Juglandaceae ). It is native to North America and provides the pecans.

• 8.1 Notes and references

Description and ecology

Appearance, bark, bud and leaf

The pecan tree grows as a tree and reaches stature heights 30-44 meters. He developed a very large overhanging tree crown. The bark is deeply furrowed and light gray to brownish. The tan to reddish - brown bark of the branches is rough and hairy, distinctly scaly and often verkahlt later. The yellowish- brown, hairy rough and scaly terminal buds are elongated with a length of 6 to 12 mm; their bud scales overlap like roof tiles not. The lateral buds are like a hood wrapped protectively.

The 40 to 70 cm long leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The 4-8 cm long petiole is glabrous to hairy. The leaf blade is pinnate. The stems of the lateral leaflets are 0-7 mm and that of the terminal leaflet 5 to 25 mm long. The leaflets are usually at a length of 9 to 13 ( 7-17 ) cm and a width of 1-7 cm ovate - lanceolate and often curved like a sickle sharpened top end. The leaf margin is finely to coarsely toothed.

Inflorescence and pollination

The flowering time is in North America in the spring. Carya illinoinenis is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ), so there are male and female catkins on the same specimen. The male catkins are taken sitting and up to 18 cm long basically. Pollination in Carya illinoinensis done by the wind ( anemophily ).

Fruit

The dark brown when ripe fruit is ovoid - ellipsoid and not flattened, with a length of 2.5 to 6 cm and a diameter of 1.5 to 3 cm. The fruit of more or less strong opens towards the base; the seams are winged. The nut is tan to brown, with black spots not flattened, ovoid - ellipsoid, not wrinkled and smooth. Your skin is thin.

Set of chromosomes

The chromosome number is 2n = 32

Use

The surface of the core is smooth and light brown. The nut can be no Nutcracker open because the shell is very thin, and tastes slightly sweet.

Occurrence and production areas

The natural range is the southern and central North America. In the United States, the circulation area covers roughly the catchment area of ​​the Mississippi. To the north it the states of Ohio and Iowa are affected, in the eastern Virginia, Georgia and Florida, in the western New Mexico. In Mexico, the occurrence includes the Mexican states of Coahuila way to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the south.

Outside North America, pecan trees in Hawaii, Australia, Brazil, China, Israel, Peru and South Africa are cultivated today.

System

The first publication was in 1787 under the name ( basionym ) Juglans illinoinensis by Friedrich Adam Julius von Wangenheim in Beytrag to Teuteschen Holzgrechten Forest Science, pp. 54-55, Figure 43 The recombination to Carya illinoinensis in 1869 by Karl Heinrich Koch in Dendrology, Volume 1, pp. 593 published. Other synonyms for Carya illinoinensis ( Wangenh. ) K.Koch are: Carya illinoensis ( Wangenh. ) K. Koch var orth, Carya oliviformis ( Michx. ) Nutt, Carya pecan (Marshall ) Engl & Graebn, Hicorius pecan. . (Marshall) Britton, Juglans oliviformis Michx. , Juglans pecan Marshall.

Carya illinoinensis belongs within the genus to section Apocarya.

Subspecies / varieties

Most varieties of pecan are infertile due dichogamy itself so that two or more plant specimens are needed for successful pollination and fruiting. Since Carya illinoinensis wind pollinated, are heavy rains during anthesis can prevent pollination.

Due to its estimated nuts Carya is illinoinensis object breeding efforts become, so there are now many varieties or cultivated forms, which are increasingly in general by refinement. These differ from the wild type by an earlier onset of flowering and higher yields with larger seeds.

In addition, since the mid-1970s were read from trees of the northern distribution areas of Carya illinoiensis the northern United States and southern Canada varieties, which bear nuts at shorter growth periods - but mostly they remain small. These are referred to as "Northern pecan ," in part as "Far Northern pecan ".

Others

The pecan is the official state tree of the U.S. state of Texas. Since 1996 in the USA on the 16th of April, the "Day of Pecan " ( National Pecan Day) committed.

More images

Maturity pecans

Pecan without shell with shell

Two halves of a peeled Pecan

Carya illinoinensis - fruits and seeds