IV. 2. THER MOCKERNUT HICKORY. 195 
and forming a lofty and graceful pyramidal head. It may be 
distinguished from the other hickories by the number of its leaf- 
lets, which are seven or nine, by the down on its leaves and 
recent shoots, by the hardness of the husk and the thickness of 
the nut, by the roundness of its large covered buds, and by a 
strong resinous odor in the leaves, buds and husks. In its 
general aspect, it resembles the shellbark, as well as in the full- 
ness cf its foliage and the size of its leaves. Its branches are 
more spreading, and its trunk is more like that of the pignut 
hickory, but less smooth. ‘The color of the bark is dark ashen 
gray, and on old trees it is rough with numerous close, narrow 
furrows, rendering it more rugged than that of any hickory, 
except the shellbark. A remarkable peculiarity often shows 
itself in the young trees. While the inner bark is cracked, the 
cuticle seems to yield and to cover the whole surface with a 
smooth, waved covering; the external furrows not beginning to 
show themselves until the tree has a diameter of six or eight 
inches. 
The recent shoots are of a brown color, very stout, and, early 
in the season, covered with down. Later, they turn purple, 
with a dusty appearance. On the older branches, which are 
larger than in the other species, the color changes to gray which 
sradually becomes hghter. 
The leaves are very large, often eighteen or twenty inches 
long, on very large downy footstalks. ‘The leaflets are seven 
or nine, nearly sessile, except the terminal one, which has a 
short stem; they are rather large, egg-shaped, elliptical, or pear- 
shaped, smooth above and downy beneath, with large, sharp 
serratures, and terminating in a short point. They are remark- 
able, particularly in the early part of the season, for a strong 
resinous odor. They have more substance than those of the 
other species, and shrivel less under the touch of the frost. In 
autumn, they assume a full deep orange brown, gradually fading 
to russcet. 
The buds are large, round, short, and covered with downy, 
yellowish brown scales. 
The male flowers are on triple catkins from three to six inches 
long, the middle one longest. They consist of three-lobed, 
