The Trees of Vermont 87 



JUGLANDACEAE 



Mocker A'ut. IVliite Heart Hickory 



Carya alba (L.) K. Koch [Hicoria alba (L.) Britt.] [Carya 



tomentosa Nutt.] 



Habit. — A tree 50-70 feet high, with a trunk dianieter of l-2i'2 

 feet; forming a wide crown of strong, upright branches and stout 

 branchlets. 



Leaves. — Alternate, compound, 8-12 inches long. Leaflets usually 

 5-7, sometimes 9, the u])per 5-8 inches long, 3-4 inches broad ; sessile, 

 except the terminal ; oblong- to obovate-lanceolate ; minutely or some- 

 times coarsely serrate ; thick and firm ; lustrous, dark yellow-green 

 above, paler and more or less pubescent beneath. Petioles pubescent. 

 Foliage fragrant when crushed. 



Flowers. — May-June, after the leaves ; monoecious ; the stam- 

 inate in pendulous, ternate catkins 4-5 inches long, slender, green, 

 hairy; scales 3-lobed, hairy; stamens 4-5, with red anthers; the pistil- 

 late in crowded, 2-5-fiowered, tomentose spikes ; calyx toothed, hairy ; 

 corolla ; stigmas 2, hairy. 



Fruit. — October; globose to globose-oblong, 1^/2-2 inches long, 

 with thick husk splitting nearly to the base ; nut 4-ridged, red-brown, 

 with very thick, hard shell and small, sweet kernel. 



Winter-buds. — Terminal bud ^-^4 inch long, broadly ovoid, red- 

 brown, pilose; outermost scales fall in early autumn. 



Bark. — Twags at first brown-tomentose, becoming smooth and 

 grayish ; on the trunk thick, hard, grayish, slightly ridged by shallow, 

 irregular fissures, becoming rugged on very old trunks. 



Wood. — Very heavy, hard, strong, tough, close-grained, elastic, 

 dark brown, with thick, whitish sapwood. 



Distribution. — Reported from Burlington and West Haven ; 

 probably occurs in other localities in the lower altitudes of the southern 

 half of the State. 



Habitat. — Prefers rich, well-drained soil, but grows well in 

 various situations, if they are not too wet. 



Notes. — This tree probably is not distinguished by most observers 

 from C. ovata, which it closely resembles; there is need of further and 

 more thorough investigation of this species. 



