SHELLBARK HICKORY 



implements, carriages, axe-handles, hoops. Best fuel of American 

 woods. Sp. gr., 0.8372 ; weight of cu. ft., 52.17 lbs. 



Winter Buds. — Terminal buds are broadly ovate, obtuse, one-half 

 to three-fourths inch long, one-third to one-half inch broad, three to 

 four outer scales are broadly ovate, dark brown and usually fall in 

 late autumn or early winter. The inner scales enlarge as spring 

 growth begins, the innermost becoming two and one-half to three 

 inches long, an inch to one and one-half inches broad, oblong-obovate, 

 yellow green tinged with red, downy, and persist until leaves are half 

 grown. 



Leaves. — Alternate, eight to fourteen inches long, compound, of 

 five, rarely seven, leaflets. Leaflets vary in size. The terminal one 

 is decurrent upon a short stalk, the others are sessile. Terminal 

 one is obovate, wedge-shaped at base, serrate, acute, the lower pair 

 of leaflets are much smaller than the second pair. The leaflets of 

 the second pair are obovate and often equal the terminal leaflet in 

 size. Leaflet vernation is involute. They come out of the bud thin, 

 shining, light yellow green, woolly coated ; when full grown are dark 

 yellow green, smooth above, paler yellow green sometimes downy 

 below ; midrib prominent, primary veins conspicuous. In autumn 

 they turn a rusty yellow. Petiole stout, smooth or hairy, obsci'rely 

 grooved and enlarged at the base. 



Flowers. — May, when the leaves are well grown. Monoecious. 

 Staminate catkins three in a group, slender, light green, hairy, four 

 to five inches long ; common peduncle often an inch long ; bracts 

 linear-lanceolate, caducous. Staminate flowers are hairy, borne on 

 short pedicels ; bracts long, acute, ovate-lanceolnte, much longer 

 than the calyx. Stamens four ; anthers nearly sessile, yellow tinged 

 with red. Pistillate flowers in two or five-flowered spikes, brownish, 

 tomentose ; bract and bractlets green and hairy. Stigmatic lobes 

 green, do not mature until the anthers have withered. 



Fruit, — Solitary or in pairs, globular, longer than broad, or 

 slightly obovate, depressed at the apex, crowned with the remnants 

 of the stigmas, dark reddish brown or black, one inch to two and a 

 half inches long ; husk four-valved, splits freely, usually one-half 

 inch thick, hard, woody and pale within. Nut varies from oblong to 

 a form broader than long, compressed, clearly or obscurely four- 

 ridged which corresponds to the valve of the husk, acute or rounded 

 at apex, tipped with a point, pale or brownish white. Kernel sweet 

 with aromatic flavor. October. 



Distinguishing Characters. — Bud scales imbricate ; leaflets five 

 to seven, obovate to oblong-lanceolate. Catkins of staminate flowers 

 borne on branches of the year only. Fruit spherical, depressed at 

 apex, without wings ; nut ovate, more or less flattened, four-angled, 

 pale or nearly white, kernel sweet. Bark hanging in long, loose 

 plates. 



The squirrel on the shingly shagbark's bough 

 Now saws, now lists with downward eye and ear 

 Then drops his nut. 



—James Russell Lowell. 

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