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.
Mocker Nut Hickory
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.