Handbook of Trees of the Northeen States and Canada. 

 an important 



IS 



The Shag-bark Hickory 

 forest tree occasionally attaiiiiiif,' or oven sur- 

 passing the height of 100 ft., with straight 

 columnar trunk 2-3 ft. in diameter vested in a 

 singular gray bark. This exfoliates in long 

 iiard plate-like strips, which, hanging long at- 

 tached at their upper ends, suggest an ap- 

 pearance of shagginess; hence its name. Wlien 

 growing apart from other trees it develops an 

 oblong or obovoid top with strong graceful 

 upright branches, pendent lower branches and 

 clean handsome foliage. It thrives best on low 

 hill sides and along the banks of streams 

 where it is commonly associated with the Bass- 

 wood, Maples, Cottonwood, Oaks, other Hick- 

 ories, etc. 



The wood of this tree is hard, strong and 

 tough, a cubic foot when absolutely dry weigh- 

 ing 52.17 lbs., and is highly valued for tool- 

 handles, agricultural implements, baskets, for 

 fuel, etc., and it is this tree which yields the 

 common small hickory nuts of commerce. 2 



Leaves 8-20 in. lon^. with rather stont potinlos 



and 5 (rarely 7) leaflets which arc dv.Ttr-Ian 



olate to obovate, rather cunoate and uiictnial at 

 base, acuminate, serrate, thick and firm, dark ,i;recn 

 above, paler beneath; bud-scales iml)ri(ate(i. the 

 inner ones accrescent. Floircr.y in .May : stanii- 

 nate 4-5 in. long, in glandular-hairy anieius : 

 middle lobe of calyx narrow and much longer than 

 the rounded lateral lobes; stamens 4; pistillate in 

 2-5-flowered spikes, rusty-tomentose. Fruit l-.S 

 together, 1-2 V.> in. long, subglobose. depressed at 

 apex, with thick husk splitting soon to the base ; 

 nut whitish, compressed, more or less 4-angled, 

 i-j-1 in. long; seed with rich delicious flavor. 



1. Syn. Catya alba Nutt. 



2. A. W., II, 36. 



