JUGLANDACEAE 

 Shagbark Hickory. Shellbark Hickory 



Carya orata (Mill.) K. Koch [Hicoria ovata (Mill.) Britt.] 

 [Gary a alba Nutt.] 



HABIT. A tree 60-80 feet high, with a slender, columnar 

 trunk 1-2 feet in diameter; forming a narrow, somewhat open 

 crown of stout, slightly spreading limbs and stout branchlets. 



LF^AVES. Alternate, compound, 8-14 inches long. Leaflets 

 usually 5, the upper 5-7 inches long and 2-3 inches broad ; sessile, 

 except the terminal ; obovate to oblong-lanceolate ; finely serrate ; 

 thick and firm; glabrous, dark green above, paler beneath and 

 glabrous or puberulous. Petioles stout, smooth or hairy. Foliage 

 fragrant when crushed. 



FLOWERS. May, after the leaves; monoecious; the stam- 

 inate hairy, greenish, in pendulous, ternate catkins 4-5 inches 

 long, on a common peduncle about I inch long; scales 3-parted, 

 bristle-tipped; stamens 4, with bearded, yellow anthers; the 

 pistillate in 2-5-flowered spikes, ^3 inch long, brown-tomentose ; 

 calyx 4-lobed, hairy; corolla o; stigmas 2, large, fringed. 



FRUIT. October ; globular, 1-2 inches long, with thick 

 husk separating completely; nut usually 4-ridged, with thick 

 shell and large, sweet, edible kernel. 



WINTER-BUDS. Terminal bud '/ 2 -H inch long, broadly 

 ovoid, obtuse, dark brown, pale-tomentose or nearly glabrous. 



BARK. Twigs brownish, more or less downy, becoming 

 smooth and grayish ; thick and grayish on old trunks, separating 

 into thick strips 1-3 feet long, free at one or both ends, giving n 

 characteristic shaggy appearance. 



WOOD. Heavy, very hard and strong, tough, close-grained, 

 elastic, light brown, with thin, whitish sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Common in the Lower Peninsula as far 

 north as Roscommon County. 



HABITAT. Prefers light, well-drained, loamy soil ; low 

 hillsides ; river-banks. 



NOTES. Hardy throughout its range. Moderately rapid in 

 growth. Difficult to transplant. 



