Here we go gathering...
August 14, 2010 7:58 PM Subscribe
What is this mystery nut?
This botanical specimen was taken out of the kitchen sink outflow pipe at a friend's house, where it had been blocking up the water. He says it's about an inch across and had probably been there for years.
We're in Quebec, although I doubt whether this is a native botanical specimen. I've never seen anything with that tripartite form before.
This botanical specimen was taken out of the kitchen sink outflow pipe at a friend's house, where it had been blocking up the water. He says it's about an inch across and had probably been there for years.
We're in Quebec, although I doubt whether this is a native botanical specimen. I've never seen anything with that tripartite form before.
Black walnut is good. But I would call it bipartite.
Here is an image of a nut :
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/JPEG%27S/Plant%2520Web%2520Images/BlackWalnutInShell.2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/BlackWalnut.html&usg=__iiG2m6CWZcXfeAF-K2SBgBJ7cw8=&h=304&w=370&sz=28&hl=en&start=20&tbnid=s1qzrhGmRIZU1M:&tbnh=127&tbnw=161&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522black%2Bwalnut%2522%2Bnut%2Bpicture%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1021%26bih%3D701%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C630&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=693&ei=61lnTMiPL4r2tgOr6t2oDQ&oei=5llnTIyJCYj2tgPh_53mBQ&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:20&tx=65&ty=92&biw=1021&bih=701
posted by llc at 8:10 PM on August 14, 2010
Here is an image of a nut :
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/JPEG%27S/Plant%2520Web%2520Images/BlackWalnutInShell.2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/BlackWalnut.html&usg=__iiG2m6CWZcXfeAF-K2SBgBJ7cw8=&h=304&w=370&sz=28&hl=en&start=20&tbnid=s1qzrhGmRIZU1M:&tbnh=127&tbnw=161&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522black%2Bwalnut%2522%2Bnut%2Bpicture%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1021%26bih%3D701%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C630&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=693&ei=61lnTMiPL4r2tgOr6t2oDQ&oei=5llnTIyJCYj2tgPh_53mBQ&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:20&tx=65&ty=92&biw=1021&bih=701
posted by llc at 8:10 PM on August 14, 2010
Agreed, black walnut. The hulls make a mean natural dye for wool.
posted by Miko at 8:16 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Miko at 8:16 PM on August 14, 2010
Response by poster: Black walnut is tripartite like my photo?
posted by zadcat at 8:23 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by zadcat at 8:23 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: It looks like Chile walnuts have three valves instead of two.
posted by Madamina at 9:21 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Madamina at 9:21 PM on August 14, 2010
Best answer: Well, after Googling around I would say that chile walnut could be a suspect - there is a good drawing of one here showing three-part hull. It is closely related. But the outer coating really looks black-walnutty to me. Black walnuts are exceedlingly variable internally, and I've never found that their hulls cleave neatly into two - they are the devil to open. The 'expect horses' answer is definitely the widely distributed black walnut, but if you find that black walnuts never occur with three lobes, then chile walnut is a likely suspect.
posted by Miko at 12:16 PM on August 15, 2010
posted by Miko at 12:16 PM on August 15, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cosmicbandito at 7:59 PM on August 14, 2010