

^s>-m=><53i 



BITTERNUT HICKORY 



(Hicoj'ia minima Britton) 



{Carya cordiformis K. Koch) 



TTIIE bitternut hickory is a tall slender tree with 

 broadly pyramidal crown, attaining a height of 

 100 feet and a diameter of 2 to 3 feet. It is found 

 throughout the State on moist rich soils, but Ls 

 nowhere very abundant. 



The baxk on tlie trunk is granite-gray, faintly 

 tinged with vellow and less rough than in most of 



BITTERNUT HICKORY 



Twig, one-half 



natural size. 



Leaf, one-third natural size. 



hickories, yet broken into thin, plate-like scales. 

 The winter buds are compressed, scurfy, bright yel- 

 low, quite different from those of its relatives. 



The leaves are alternate, compound, from 6 to 10 

 inches long, and eompo.sed of from 7 to 11 leaflets. 

 The individual leaflets are smaller and more slender 

 than those of the other hickories. 



The flowers are of two kinds on the same tree. 

 The fruit is about 1 inch long and tliin-husked, 

 while file nut is usually tliin-shelled and brittle, and 

 tlu^ kernel very bitter. 



The wood is hard, strong and heavy, reddish 

 brown in color. From this last fact it gets its local 

 name of red hickory. It is said to be somewhat in- 

 ferior to the other hickories, but is used for the same 

 purposes. 



19 



