Part 28

HABITAT.--Prefers light, well-drained, loamy soil; low hillsides; river-banks.

NOTES.--Hardy throughout its range. Moderately rapid in growth. Difficult to transplant.

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

+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 staminate 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, 1-3/4-2-1/2 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 first 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.

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

+JUGLANDACEAE+

+Mocker Nut Hickory+

Carya alba (L.) K. Koch [Hicoria alba (L.) Britt.] [Carya tomentosa Nutt.]

HABIT.--A tree 50-70 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-2-1/2 feet; forming a wide crown of strong, upright branches and stout branchlets.

LEAVES.--Alternate, compound, 8-12 inches long. Leaflets usually 5-7, sometimes 9, the upper 5-8 inches long, 3-4 inches broad; sessile, except the terminal; oblong- to obovate-lanceolate; minutely or sometimes coarsely serrate; thick and firm; lustrous, dark yellow-green above, paler and more or less pubescent beneath. Petioles pubescent. Foliage fragrant when crushed.

FLOWERS.--May, after the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in pendulous, ternate catkins 4-5 inches long, slender, green, hairy; scales 3-lobed, hairy; stamens 4-5, with red anthers; the pistillate in crowded, 2-5-flowered, tomentose spikes; calyx toothed, hairy; corolla 0; stigmas 2, hairy.

FRUIT.--October; globose to globose-oblong, 1-1/2-2 inches long, with thick husk splitting nearly to the base; nut 4-ridged, red-brown, with very thick, hard shell and small, sweet kernel.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/2-3/4 inch long, broadly ovoid, red-brown, pilose; outermost scales fall in early autumn.

BARK.--Twigs at first brown-tomentose, becoming smooth and grayish; on the trunk thick, hard, grayish, slightly ridged by shallow, irregular fissures, becoming rugged on very old trunks.

WOOD.--Very heavy, hard, strong, tough, close-grained, elastic, dark brown, with thick, whitish sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Southern Peninsula as far north as Grand Rapids and Flint. Infrequent.