SHELLBARK HICKORY 
iniplements, carriages, axe-handles, hoops. Best fuel of American 
woods. Sp. gr., 0.8372; weight of cu. ft., 52.17 Ibs. 
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, ot 
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, obscrrely 
grooved and enlarged at the base. 
Flowers.—May, when the leaves are well grown. Moncecious. 
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-lanceolate, 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 RusseELL LOWELL. 
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