Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis
Walnut family (Juglandaceae)

Description: This tree is 60-100' tall at maturity, forming a single trunk about 1½-3' across and a variably shaped crown with ascending branches. In densely forested areas, the trunk is long and straight and the crown is relatively short; in open areas, the trunk is less long and the crown is relatively large and ovoid in shape. Trunk bark is highly variable, depending on the age of the tree: young trees have light gray to gray trunk bark with shallow fissures that are dull white or yellowish red; trees of intermediate age have trunk bark that is gray, rough, irregular, and shallowly furrowed; older trees have trunk bark that is gray with interlaced furrows and flat-topped ridges. Branches have bark that is gray and more smooth, while twigs are gray or light brown and glabrous. Young non-woody shoots are light green, terete, and glabrous; they have scattered lenticels that are white or pale yellow. Alternate compound leaves about 8-14" long occur along the twigs and young shoots; they are odd-pinnate with 7-9 leaflets (rarely 11 leaflets). The rachis (central stalk) of each compound leaf is light green and short-pubescent. The leaflets are 3-6" long and 1-2" across; they are elliptic, lanceolate, or ovate with serrated margins. Distal leaflets (farther from the petiole) are larger in size than proximal leaflets (closer to the petiole). Individual leaflets can be symmetric or asymmetric in shape (straight or slightly curved; more narrow on one side than the other). The upper surface of the leaflets is medium to dark green and glabrous, while the lower surface is pale green and pubescent along the veins. In addition, some short hairs or a sparse powdery coating may be located away from the veins across the lower surface. On each compound leaf, the leaflets are sessile or nearly so, although the terminal leaflet sometimes has a short petiolule (basal stalklet) about 1/8" long.

Copyright © 2009-2012 by John Hilty All rights reserved.
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