Part 27

aa. Bark of trunk deeply furrowed or shaggy; husk of fruit more than 1/8 inch thick.

b. Twigs more or less pubescent; leaflets 5-7, more or less pubescent beneath.

c. Twigs brownish; buds densely hairy; fruit 1-1/2-2 inches long. C. alba, p. 73.

cc. Twigs orange; buds merely puberulous; fruit 1-3/4-2-1/2 inches long; (leaflets usually 7). C. laciniosa, p. 71.

bb. Twigs tending to be glabrous; leaflets usually 5, glabrous beneath. C. ovata, p. 69.

+WINTER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CARYA+

a. Bark of trunk essentially smooth, not deeply furrowed nor shaggy; husk of fruit less than 1/8 inch thick.

b. Terminal bud narrow, long-pointed, flattish, bright yellow; kernel of nut bitter. C. cordiformis, p. 79.

bb. Terminal bud broad, dome-shaped, not bright yellow; kernel of nut sweet.

c. Buds greenish; twigs glabrous; fruit 1-1/2-2 inches long. C. glabra, p. 77.

cc. Buds red-brown; twigs long-hairy; fruit less than 1 inch long. C. microcarpa, p. 75.

aa. Bark of trunk deeply furrowed or shaggy; husk of fruit more than 1/8 inch thick.

b. Twigs more or less pubescent; buds more or less pubescent.

c. Buds 1/2-3/4 inch long, densely hairy; outer bud-scales deciduous in autumn; twigs brownish; fruit 1-1/2-2 inches long. C. alba, p. 73.

cc. Buds about 1 inch long, merely puberulous; outer bud-scales persistent until spring; twigs orange colored; fruit 1-3/4-2-1/2 inches long. C. laciniosa, p. 71.

bb. Twigs tending to be glabrous; buds glabrous or nearly so. C. ovata, p. 69.

1. Winter twig, × 1. 2. Portion of twig, enlarged. 3. Leaf, × 1/3. 4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2. 5. Staminate flower, enlarged. 6. Pistillate flower, enlarged. 7. Fruit, × 1/2.]

+JUGLANDACEAE+

+Shagbark Hickory. Shellbark Hickory+

Carya ovata (Mill.) K. Koch [Hicoria ovata (Mill.) Britt.] [Carya alba Nutt.]

HABIT.--A tree 60-80 feet high, with a slender, columnar trunk 1-2 feet in diameter; forming a narrow, somewhat open crown of stout, slightly spreading limbs and stout branchlets.

LEAVES.--Alternate, compound, 8-14 inches long. Leaflets usually 5, the upper 5-7 inches long and 2-3 inches broad; sessile, except the terminal; obovate to oblong-lanceolate; finely serrate; thick and firm; glabrous, dark green above, paler beneath and glabrous or puberulous. Petioles stout, smooth or hairy. Foliage fragrant when crushed.

FLOWERS.--May, after the leaves; monoecious; the staminate hairy, greenish, in pendulous, ternate catkins 4-5 inches long, on a common peduncle about 1 inch long; scales 3-parted, bristle-tipped; stamens 4, with bearded, yellow anthers; the pistillate in 2-5-flowered spikes, 1/3 inch long, brown-tomentose; calyx 4-lobed, hairy; corolla 0; stigmas 2, large, fringed.

FRUIT.--October; globular, 1-2 inches long, with thick husk separating completely; nut usually 4-ridged, with thick shell and large, sweet, edible kernel.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/2-3/4 inch long, broadly ovoid, obtuse, dark brown, pale-tomentose or nearly glabrous.

BARK.--Twigs brownish, more or less downy, becoming smooth and grayish; thick and grayish on old trunks, separating into thick strips 1-3 feet long, free at one or both ends, giving a characteristic shaggy appearance.

WOOD.--Heavy, very hard and strong, tough, close-grained, elastic, light brown, with thin, whitish sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Common in the Lower Peninsula as far north as Roscommon County.