American Chestnut Trees for Elementary Season Six's Meet Your Maker

Summary: Sherlock Holmes equates examining clues to extracting peas under shells from American chestnut trees on Elementary's Meet Your Maker July 23, 2018.

American chestnut (Castanea dentata), under synonym Castanea vesca; illustration of American chestnut tree full-grown fruit (fig. 1), leaves, catkin and nut (fig. 2) by French natural history artist Pancrace Bessa (Jan. 1, 1772-June 11, 1846); F.A. Michaux, The North American Sylva, vol. III (1819), Plate 104 (CIV), opposite page 9: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library

Accumulating pea-like clues from the severed quarters of one- to three-seeded shells from American chestnut trees allegorizes detective work in the Elementary procedural drama series episode Meet Your Maker July 23, 2018.

Director Ron Fortunato and writers Robert Doherty, Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Kelly Wheeler blend abduction, black-market weapons and forced labor in the sixth season's 12th episode. Her sister Lin Wen's (Samantha Quan) real estate company colleague, Derek Clay (Sean Meehan), contacts Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) concerning missing acquaintance Maria Rodriguez (Mirla Pereira). Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) describes the difficulties in determining which of about 36 same-named New Yorkers within a 30-mile (48.28-kilometer) radius disappeared four days ago.

Sherlock equates examining every 20-plus- to 30-plus-year-old Maria Rodriguez to "dogged drudgery of chasing down every lead, upending every chestnut shell to find that metaphorical pea."

Finding peas (Pisum sativum, from Greek πίσον, píson, "pea" and Latin satīvum, "sown") under 1.89- to 2.95-inch (48- to 75-centimeter) diameter burrs frustrates all New Yorkers.

American chestnut trees grow scantily, unobtrusively in the Fagaceae (from Latin fāgus, "beech" and -āceae, "resembling") family member's distribution ranges in one province and 30 states. Surviving American chestnuts outside Brooklyn Heights harvest spring through fall leaves, summer flowers and fruits and summer through fall seeds in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. American chestnut trees, identified by Humphry Marshall (Oct. 10, 1722-Nov. 5, 1801) and Moritz Balthasar Borkhausen (Dec. 3, 1760-Nov. 30, 1806), increase by cuttings and seeds.

American chestnut trees juggle broad-based, pointed-tip, red-brown, 0.47- to 0.98-inch- (12- to 25-millimeter-) long and wide seeds in four-sutured, green burrs with 0.47-inch- (12-millimeter-) long spines.

American chestnut trees keep hardy in temperature minimums between minus 4 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 and minus 15 degrees Celsius) on Sherlock's brownstone rooftop.

American chestnut trees, as monoecious (from Greek μόνος, mónos, "single" and οἰκία, oikía, "house") woody plants, lodge separate female and male downy, spike-like, stalked, green-white-yellow catkins. Leaf bases near green, hairless, slender twigs manifest many June- and July-growing 0.19-inch- (5-millimeter-) long male flowers in 5.91- to 7.87-inch (150- to 200-millimeter-) long catkins. Less numerous, similarly strong-scented female flowers of American chestnut trees, named scientifically Castanea dentata (from Greek καστάνεια, kastánea, "chestnut" and dentata, "toothed"), net 0.39-inch (10-millimeter) lengths.

American chestnut trees organize hairy, pointed-tip, wedge-based, yellow-green leaves with hairless undersides and toothed margins on alternate-located, semi-angled 0.32- to 1.58-inch- (8- to 40-millimeter-) long stalks.

Shiny, 3.54- to 11.81-inch- (90- to 300-millimeter-) long, 1.18- to 3.94-inch- (30- to 100-millimeter-) wide leaves possess parallel-lined veins from foliar midribs to curved, marginal teeth.

American chestnut trees queue up alongside bundle-scarred, semi-elevated, semi-oval leaf-scars blunt-pointed, broad-based 0.19- to 0.32-inch- (5- to 8-millimeter-) long side buds with three smooth brown-green-yellow scales. Blighted 9.84- to healthy 114.83-foot- (3- to 35-meter-) tall, 3.94-inch to 3.94-foot (100-millimeter- to 1.2-meter) diameter trees reveal 0.79- to 1.97-inch- (20- to 50-millimeter-) thick bark. Mixed birch, conifer, hickory, maple and oak upland Appalachian forests with clayey, loamy, moist, rocky, semi-acidic, sunny, well-drained soils sustain black-brown-, furrow-, ridge-barked, rounded-crown, stout-branched trees.

Sherlock's brownstone rooftop theoretically tenders American chestnut trees 60- to 70-plus-year lifespans in soil pHs 4 to 6 at maximum 3,937.01-foot (1,200-meter) altitudes above sea level.

Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller), Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) and Detective Marcus Bell (Jon Michael Hall) upend "every chestnut shell to find that metaphorical pea" in CBS Elementary tv series' Meet Your Maker (season 6 episode 12): CBS Elementary promotional photo via SpoilerTV July 19, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

American chestnut (Castanea dentata), under synonym Castanea vesca; illustration of American chestnut tree leaf, full-grown fruit (fig. 1), catkin and nut (fig. 2) by French natural history artist Pancrace Bessa (Jan. 1, 1772-June 11, 1846); engraved by J.N. Joly; F.A. Michaux, The North American Sylva, vol. III (1819), Plate 104 (CIV), opposite page 9: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29147431

Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller), Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) and Detective Marcus Bell (Jon Michael Hall) upend "every chestnut shell to find that metaphorical pea" in CBS Elementary tv series' Meet Your Maker (season 6 episode 12): CBS Elementary promotional photo via SpoilerTV July 19, 2018, @ https://www.spoilertv.com/2018/06/elementary-episode-612-meet-your-maker.html

For further information:

Borkhausen, Moritz Balthasar. 1800. Theoretisches-praktisches Handbuch der Forstbotanik und Forsttechnologie, erster theil (April-Mai 1800): 741. Giessen und Darmstadt, Germany: Georg Friedrich Heyer.

Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. London, England: George Newnes Ltd., 1892.

"1. Castanea dentata." Flora of North America > Family List > FNA Vol. 3 > Fagaceae > Castanea.
Available @ http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500325

"Castanea dentata (Marshall) Borkh." Tropicos® > Name Search.
Available @ http://www.tropicos.org/Name/13100209

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 July 2018. “Bird's-Eye Pipe Tobacco and Trichinopoly Cigars: Elementary's Long Way.” Earth and Space News. Sunday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/birds-eye-pipe-tobacco-and-trichinopoly.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 July 2018. “Elementary's Adventure of Ersatz Sobekneferu: West African Crocodiles.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/elementarys-adventure-of-ersatz.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 1 July 2018. “Blue Wildebeests and Tarragon Tea on Elementary's Nobody Lives Forever.” Earth and Space News. Sunday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/blue-wildebeests-and-tarragon-tea-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 23 June 2018. “Vermont Black Bears and Elementary's Sand Trap Episode June 18, 2018.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/06/vermont-black-bears-and-elementarys.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 16 June 2018. “Elementary Sober Companions, Amethysts and Agiorgitiko Red Wine Grapes.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/06/elementary-sober-companions-amethysts.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 10 June 2018. “Elementary's Give Me the Finger: Not the Southeast Asian Fruit Durian.” Earth and Space News. Sunday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/06/elementarys-give-me-finger-not.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 9 June 2018. “Elementary's Give Me the Finger: Floppy Disks Dinosaurs Like Grallator.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/06/elementarys-give-me-finger-floppy-disks.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 2 June 2018. “Bird Flu on Elementary's Bits and Pieces and Wild Red Junglefowl.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/06/bird-flu-on-elementarys-bits-and-pieces.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 26 May 2018. “Boxing Kangaroos and Elementary Season 6 Episode 4 Our Time Is Up.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/boxing-kangaroos-and-elementary-season.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 20 May 2018. “American Staffordshire Terrier and Elementary's Pushing Buttons.” Earth and Space News. Sunday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/american-staffordshire-terrier-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 19 May 2018. “Cassowaries and Elementary's Pushing Buttons Episode May 14, 2018.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/cassowaries-and-elementarys-pushing.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 12 May 2018. “Monoceros Unicorns: Puzzles Once You've Ruled Out God on Elementary.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/monoceros-unicorns-puzzles-once-youve.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 5 May 2018. “Sumatran Tigers and Elementary's An Infinite Capacity for Taking Pains.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/sumatran-tigers-and-elementarys.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 18 November 2016. “Green Tree Python Natural History Illustrations and Elementary.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/green-tree-python-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 11 November 2016. “Eastern Poison Ivy Botanical Illustrations and Elementary's Henny Penny.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/eastern-poison-ivy-botanical.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 November 2016. “Galápagos Marine Iguana Natural History Illustrations and Elementary.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/galapagos-marine-iguana-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 21 October 2016. "China's Imperial Jade Heirloom Seal Worth Several Cities on Elementary." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/10/chinas-imperial-jade-heirloom-seal.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 May 2016. “Mopane Worm Natural History Illustrations and Elementary's Invisible Hand.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/05/mopane-worm-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 6 May 2016. “Johannes Vermeer Painting The Astronomer: Elementary's Invisible Hand.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/05/johannes-vermeer-painting-astronomer.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 March 2016. “Shih Tzu Dog Breed and Elementary's Up to Heaven and Down to Hell.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/03/shih-tzu-dog-breed-and-elementarys-up.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 19 February 2016. “Mushroom Botanical Illustrations and Elementary's A Study in Charlotte.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/02/mushroom-botanical-illustrations-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 November 2015. "Black-Capped Central American Squirrel Monkeys and Elementary Series." Earth and Space News. Sunday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/11/black-capped-central-american-squirrel.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 15 November 2015. “Tienchi-Flower Tea and Elementary's Evidence of Things Not Seen.” Earth and Space News. Sunday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/11/tienchi-flower-tea-and-elementarys.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 17 April 2015. “Pablo Picasso Painting Woman Reading on Elementary's A Stitch in Time.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/03/pablo-picasso-painting-woman-reading-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 14 February 2015. “Extinct Quagga Plains Zebra on Elementary's The Female of the Species.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/02/extinct-quagga-plains-zebra-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 23 January 2015. “Elementary's Yellow Clivia and Yellow Clivia Botanical Illustrations.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/01/elementarys-yellow-clivia-and-yellow.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 12 December 2014. “Elementary's Nutmeg Concoction and Nutmeg Botanical Illustrations.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/12/elementarys-nutmeg-concoction-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 November 2014. “Elementary's Bird in Blue-Throated Macaw Natural History Illustrations.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/11/elementarys-bird-in-blue-throated-macaw.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 October 2014. “Bearded Dragon Natural History Illustrations: Not Elementary's Nemesis.” Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/10/bearded-dragon-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 2 May 2014. “Ficus Benjamina Botanical Illustrations and Elementary's Stunted Tree.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/05/ficus-benjamina-botanical-illustrations.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 February 2014. “Dimetrodon Natural History Illustrations and Elementary's Dimetrodon.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/02/dimetrodon-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 January 2014. “Nanotyrannus Natural History Illustrations and Elementary's Dead Clade Walking.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/01/nanotyrannus-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 December 2013. “Fruit in Osage Orange Botanical Illustrations and Elementary Series.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/12/fruit-in-osage-orange-botanical.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 November 2013. “George Stubbs Painting The Godolphin Arabian and Elementary's Nutmeg.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/11/george-stubbs-painting-godolphin.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 15 November 2013. “John Wootton Painting The Darley Arabian and Elementary's Studhorse.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/11/john-wootton-painting-darley-arabian.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 8 November 2013. “John Wootton Painting The Byerley Turk and Elementary's Thoroughbreds.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/11/john-wootton-painting-byerley-turk-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 30 August 2013. “Turner Fighting Temeraire Painting in Elementary Series Episode The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/08/turner-fighting-temeraire-painting-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 June 2013. “Paul Gauguin Painting Tahitian Women on the Beach in Elementary's The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/06/paul-gauguin-painting-tahitian-women-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 May 2013. “Rubens Painting The Incredulity of St Thomas in Elementary's The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/05/rubens-painting-incredulity-of-st.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 24 May 2013. “Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Painting Rousse in Elementary Episode The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/05/henri-de-toulouse-lautrec-painting.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 17 May 2013. “The Bruegel Painted Parable in the Elementary Series Episode The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-bruegel-painted-parable-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 February 2013. “Osmia Avosetta Natural History Illustrations for Elementary's Bee.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/02/osmia-avosetta-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 1 February 2013. “Russian Tortoise Natural History Illustrations and Elementary's Clyde Jan. 31, 2013.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/02/russian-tortoise-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 25 January 2013. “Costliest, World-Most Expensive Chopard Watch: 201 Carats at $25 Million.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/01/costliest-world-most-expensive-chopard.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 18 January 2013. “Chopard Watch Worth $25 Million on Elementary Episode The Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/01/chopard-watch-worth-25-million-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 11 January 2013. “Claude Monet Painting Nympheas 1918 in Elementary Series' Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/01/claude-monet-painting-nympheas-1918-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 January 2013. “Paul Cézanne Still Life Painting Fruit in Elementary Series' Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/01/paul-cezanne-still-life-painting-fruit.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 28 December 2012. “Paul Signac Painting Women at the Well in Elementary Series' Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/12/paul-signac-painting-women-at-well-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 21 December 2012. “The Van Gogh Pietà Painting in Elementary Series Episode The Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-van-gogh-pieta-painting-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 14 December 2012. “Edward Hopper Painting Western Motel in Elementary Series' Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/12/edward-hopper-painting-western-motel-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 29 September 2012. "Are Lesser Clovers Sherlock's Lucky Shamrocks on Elementary's Pilot?" Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-lesser-clovers-sherlocks-lucky.html

Marshall, Humphry. 1785. "Fagus-Castanea: The Chesnut Tree. 1. Fagus-Castanea dentata. American Chesnut Tree." Arbustrum Americanum: The American Grove, Or, An Alphabetical Catalogue of Forest Trees and Shrubs, Natives of the American United States, Arranged According to the Linnæan System: 46-47. Philadelphia PA: Joseph Crukshank, M.DCC.LXXXV.
Available via Google Books @ https://books.google.com/books?id=zUA4iXBhQvwC
Available via HathiTrust @ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044107269326?urlappend=%3Bseq=72

Michaux, F. Andrew (François André). 1819. "American Chestnut." The North American Sylva, or A Description of the Forest Trees of the United States, Canada and Nova Scotia, Considered Particularly With Respect to Their Use in the Arts, and Their Introduction Into Commerce; To Which Is Added A Description of the Most Useful of the European Forest Trees. Vol. III: 9-14. Paris, France: C. D'Hautel.
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29147431

Schoenherr, John. 8 April 2008. "Humphrey [sic]) Marshall." Find A Grave > Memorials > Region > North America > USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > West Chester > Bradford Friends Burying Ground > Find A Grave Memorial 25835522.
Available @ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25835522/humphrey-marshall