Handbook of Trees of tjik Xoiv- riii:i{.\ Siaiks a.xd Cax. 



69 



The Pale-leaf Hickory is a forest tree of 

 iiKMlium size, iinl oft.^ii iiioiv tlum 40 or 5(1 ft. 

 in liciglil or 18 or '20 in. in tiiickiicss of trunk 

 which is covered with a grayish brown hark. 

 very rough with prominent connected scaly 

 ridges. When growing apart from other trees it 

 develops a rather narrow oblong top with up- 

 right branches and pendulous lower branches. 

 It inhabits well drained slopes, sandy plains 

 and rocky ridges, sometimes fruiting when 

 only a few feet in height. It is abun- 

 dant in the southern part of its range, par- 

 ticularly the foothill region of the southern 

 Alleghanies. 



Its wood is heavy, hard, strong and tough 



and excellent for tool-handles, agricultural 



implements and for fuel. 2 The nuts are swe?t 



and edible. 



Leaves 6-10 in. long, with slender pubescent 

 petioles and usually 7 (sometimes 5 or 9) leflets 

 which vary from lanceolate to lance-obovate, ser- 

 rate, acuminate, and when young pubescent and 

 covered beneath with silvery peltate scales and 

 resin-globules, but at maturity glabrous dark green 

 above and yellowish beneath ; winter buds small 

 with 6-8 imbricated scales, the outer dotted with 

 resin-globules. Flowers staminate in scurfy pubes- 

 cent catkins. 5-7 in. long ; central calyx-lolie much 

 longer thah the lateral ones. Fridt subglobose to 

 pyriform, 1-1% in. long, compressed with thin 

 husk splitting nearly to the base: nut slightly 

 angled, pale brown with thick shell and small 

 sweet seed. 



1. Syn. Ilicuria paUida Ashe. 



