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Pecan
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Pecan
The pecan (/pɪˈkæn/ pih-KAN, also US: /pɪˈkɑːn, ˈpiːkæn/ pih-KAHN, PEE-kan, UK: /ˈpiːkən/ PEE-kən; Carya illinoinensis) is a species of hickory native to the Southern United States and northern Mexico in the region of the Mississippi River.
Originally native to the south-central U.S., the tree is cultivated for its seed primarily in the U.S. states of Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas, Louisiana and in Mexico. The seed is an edible nut used as a snack and in various recipes, such as praline candy and pecan pie. The pecan is the state nut of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Texas, and Louisiana, and is also the state tree of Texas.
Pecan derives from an Algonquian word variously referring to pecans, walnuts, and hickory nuts. There are many pronunciations, some regional and others not. There is little agreement in the United States regarding the "correct" pronunciation, even regionally.
In 1927, the National Pecan Growers Association acknowledged variant pronunciations while designating one as official and correct: "pronounced as though spelled pea-con ... those in the habit of using any other pronunciation therefore be requested henceforth to adopt exclusively the pronunciation above specified above and hereby adopted by the Association."
The pecan tree is a large deciduous tree, growing to 20–40 m (66–131 ft) in height, rarely to 44 m (144 ft). It typically has a spread of 12–23 m (39–75 ft) with a trunk up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) diameter. A 10-year-old sapling grown in optimal conditions will stand about 5 m (16 ft) tall. The leaves are alternate, 30–45 cm (12–18 in) long, and pinnate with 9–17 leaflets, each leaflet 5–12 cm (2–4+1⁄2 in) long and 2–6 cm (1–2+1⁄2 in) broad.
A pecan, like the fruit of all other members of the hickory genus, is not truly a nut, but is technically a drupe, a fruit with a single stone or pit, surrounded by a husk. The husks are produced from the exocarp tissue of the flower, while the part known as the nut develops from the endocarp and contains the seed. The husk itself is aeneous, that is, brassy greenish-gold in color, oval to oblong in shape, 2.6–6 cm (1–2+3⁄8 in) long, and 1.5–3 cm (5⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) broad. The outer husk is 3–4 mm (1⁄8–5⁄32 in) thick, starts out green, and turns brown at maturity, at which time it splits off in four sections to release the thin-shelled seed.
Pecan trees are native to the south-central U.S., but have spread due to cultivation. Native Americans also may have assisted in the spread of the species via planting.
C. illinoinensis is found in bottomlands, suburban woodlands, disturbed areas, and along forest edges; it commonly naturalizes near where cultivated trees are located. C. illinoinensis grows on soils that are not subject to frequent flooding, preferring moist, well-drained, rich soils.
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Pecan AI simulator
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Pecan
The pecan (/pɪˈkæn/ pih-KAN, also US: /pɪˈkɑːn, ˈpiːkæn/ pih-KAHN, PEE-kan, UK: /ˈpiːkən/ PEE-kən; Carya illinoinensis) is a species of hickory native to the Southern United States and northern Mexico in the region of the Mississippi River.
Originally native to the south-central U.S., the tree is cultivated for its seed primarily in the U.S. states of Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas, Louisiana and in Mexico. The seed is an edible nut used as a snack and in various recipes, such as praline candy and pecan pie. The pecan is the state nut of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Texas, and Louisiana, and is also the state tree of Texas.
Pecan derives from an Algonquian word variously referring to pecans, walnuts, and hickory nuts. There are many pronunciations, some regional and others not. There is little agreement in the United States regarding the "correct" pronunciation, even regionally.
In 1927, the National Pecan Growers Association acknowledged variant pronunciations while designating one as official and correct: "pronounced as though spelled pea-con ... those in the habit of using any other pronunciation therefore be requested henceforth to adopt exclusively the pronunciation above specified above and hereby adopted by the Association."
The pecan tree is a large deciduous tree, growing to 20–40 m (66–131 ft) in height, rarely to 44 m (144 ft). It typically has a spread of 12–23 m (39–75 ft) with a trunk up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) diameter. A 10-year-old sapling grown in optimal conditions will stand about 5 m (16 ft) tall. The leaves are alternate, 30–45 cm (12–18 in) long, and pinnate with 9–17 leaflets, each leaflet 5–12 cm (2–4+1⁄2 in) long and 2–6 cm (1–2+1⁄2 in) broad.
A pecan, like the fruit of all other members of the hickory genus, is not truly a nut, but is technically a drupe, a fruit with a single stone or pit, surrounded by a husk. The husks are produced from the exocarp tissue of the flower, while the part known as the nut develops from the endocarp and contains the seed. The husk itself is aeneous, that is, brassy greenish-gold in color, oval to oblong in shape, 2.6–6 cm (1–2+3⁄8 in) long, and 1.5–3 cm (5⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) broad. The outer husk is 3–4 mm (1⁄8–5⁄32 in) thick, starts out green, and turns brown at maturity, at which time it splits off in four sections to release the thin-shelled seed.
Pecan trees are native to the south-central U.S., but have spread due to cultivation. Native Americans also may have assisted in the spread of the species via planting.
C. illinoinensis is found in bottomlands, suburban woodlands, disturbed areas, and along forest edges; it commonly naturalizes near where cultivated trees are located. C. illinoinensis grows on soils that are not subject to frequent flooding, preferring moist, well-drained, rich soils.
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