JUGLANDACEAE 



Shellbark Hickory. King Nut 



Carya laciniosa, (Michx. /.) Loud. [Hicoria laciniosa, 

 (Michx. /.) Sarg.] [Carya sulcata, Nutt.} 



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

 trunk 2-3 feet in diameter; forming a narrow, oblong crown of 

 small, spreading branches. 



LEAVES. Alternate, compound, 1-2 feet long. Leaflets 

 usually 7, the upper 5-9 inches long, 3-5 inches -broad, larger than 

 the lowest pair ; sessile or short-stalked ; oblong-lanceolate to 

 obovate, taper-pointed; finely serrate; thick and firm; lustrous, 

 dark green above, paler and soft-pubescent beneath. Petioles 

 stout, glabrous or pubescent, often persistent on the branches 

 during the winter. Foliage fragrant when crushed. 



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

 inate in pendulous, ternate catkins, 5-8 inches long, slender, 

 yellow-green, on common peduncles I inch long ; scales 3-lobed, 

 tomentose ; stamens 4, with yellow, hairy anthers ; the pistillate 

 in crowded, 2-5-flowered spikes, tomentose; calyx 3-toothed, 

 hairy; corolla o; stigmas 2, light green. 



FRUIT. October; oblong to subglobose, 1^-2^ inches 

 long, with very thick, woody husk, splitting to the base; nut 4-6- 

 ridged, with thick, hard shell and large, sweet kernel. 



WINTER-BUDS. Terminal bud about I inch long, ovoid, 

 obtuse, dark brown, puberulous. 



BARK. Twigs orange and more or less pu'bescent, becoming 

 darker in the first winter, and finally grayish ; on the trunk 1-2 

 inches thick, light gray, separating into broad, thick plates 3-4 

 feet long, persistent on the trunk for many years. 



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

 very elastic, dark brown, with thin, whitish sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Occurs in the southern portion of the 

 Lower Peninsula, but is rather a rare tree. 



HABITAT. Prefers deep, rich bottom-lands. 



NOTES. Rapid in growth* May be distinguished from 

 other hickories by orange colored 'branchlets. 



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