Trees of New York State 153 



JUGLANDACEAE 



Carya glabra (Mill.) Sj)acli. fHicoria glabra Britt. ; Carya iiorc.ina Nutt.] 



Pignut 



Habit — A tree at maturity attaining a height of 80-90 feet with a trunk 

 diameter of 2-3 feet, occasionally 120 feet in height. Crown oblong, 

 rather narrow, consisting of short, spreading branches, the lower some- 

 what pendulous. Bole tall, slender, tapering, often free of lateral branches 

 for some distance, occasionally forked. 



Leaves — ^ Alternate, odd-pinnately compound, 8-12 inches long, consisting of 

 5-7 (rarely 9) sessile leaflets arranged in pairs along a slender, glabrous 

 or pubescent, slightly grooved petiole, the terminal leaflet narrowed into 

 a stalk. Leaflets lanceolate to obovate-oblanceolate, 3-8 inches long, 

 1-2% inches broad, acuminate at the apex, rounded and usually inequi- 

 lateral at the base, sharply serrate except at the base, at maturity thick, 

 firm, dark yellowish green and glabrous above, paler, glabrous or with 

 axillary tufts of hairs below. 



Flowers — Appearing in May and June after the unfolding of the leaves, 

 monoecious, the staminate in slender drooping catkins 3—7 inches long 

 which are borne in pedunculate clusters of 3 on the growth of the pre- 

 ceding season or rarely at the base of the growth of the season, the 

 pistillate in terminal, 2-5-flowered spikes capping the growth of the 

 season, the two sorts proximal. Staminate flowers short pedicellate, pale 

 tomentose, about % of an inch long, consisting of an ovate or lanceolate 

 bract and 2 calyx-lobes bearing adaxilly 4 stamens. Anthers nearly ses- 

 sile, orange-colored. Pistillate flowers about % of an inch long, sessile, 

 consisting of an inferior, 1-celled ovary surmounted by 2 sessile, spread- 

 ing yellow stigmas. The ovary is invested by the cohering, glabrous or 

 pubescent, pale green involucre. 



Fruit — Pyriform or globose, l%-2 inches long, 4-sutured at least above the 

 middle, at maturity reddish broAvn and often pubescent. Husk thin, often 

 opening rather tardily at the apex, sometimes enclosing the nut after it 

 has fallen. Nut brownish white, thick-shelled, ellipsoidal to subglobose 

 with light brown, bitter kernel. 



Winter characters — Twigs rather slender, pale-lenticellate, smooth and lus- 

 trous, light reddish brown turning dark red the second season. Leaf -scars 

 bluntly and inversely triangular, slightly indented above, rather small. 

 Terminal bud reddish brown and lustrous, ellipsoidal, Vi-Vi of an inch 

 long, the scales rather close-fitting. Lateral buds much smaller. Mature 

 bark thin, close, light gray with shallow fissures separating narrow ridges, 

 never shaggy. 



Habitat — An upland species preferring dry ridges and hillsides, often in 

 admixture A\ith Oak and Chestnut. 



Range — Xew England west through southern Ontario and Michigan to south- 

 ern Minnesota and Nebraska, south to Florida and eastern Texas. Zones 

 A, B, and C. 



Uses — -Produces a valuable grade of hickory timber. Wood heavy, hard, very 

 strong, tough, elastic, close-grained. Used similarly as the wood of the 

 other hickories for wheels, tool handles, etc. Nuts very variable in flavor. 



