Bitter Pecan or Water Hickory Tree
The Bitter Pecan, or Water Hickory (H. aquatica, Britt.), is least in size and value among the hickories, though it shoots up occasionally to the height of 100 feet. It grows in inundated districts-in swamps of the coast region from Virginia to Texas, and along the Mississippi River to southern Illinois. There is little to regret in its comparative uselessness, for the trees are practically inaccessible. The bitter little nut is roughly sculptured and ridged, reminding one of the butternut shell. This probably led Michaux to call it a walnut. The kernel is thickly coated with a bitter red powder, like that of the pecan.