JUGLANDACEAE 
Shellbark Hickory. King Nut 
Carya laciniosa (Michx. f.) Loud. [Hicoria laciniosa 
(Michx. f.) 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 1 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 0; stigmas 2, light green. 
FRUIT.—October; oblong to subglobose, 134-2%4 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 1 inch long, ovoid, 
obtuse, dark brown, puberulous. 
BARK.—Twigs orange and more or less pubescent, becoming 
darker in the frst 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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