The _leaves_ resemble those of the other hickories and the black walnut.
They are made up of 9 to 17 leaflets, each oblong, toothed and
long-pointed, and 4 to 8 inches long by about 2 inches wide.
The _flowers_ appear in early spring and hang in tassels from 2 to 3
inches long. The _fruit_ is a nut, 4-winged or angled, pointed from 1 to
2 inches long, and one-half to 1 inch in diameter, borne in a husk which
divides along its grooved seams when the nut ripens in the fall. The
nuts, which vary in size and in the thickness of the shell, have been
greatly improved by selection and cultivation and are sold on the market
in large quantities.
The _wood_ is strong, tough, heavy and hard and is used occasionally in
making handles, parts for vehicles, for fuel and for veneers.
The water hickory, _Carya aquatica_ Nutt., is a smaller tree, found in
swamps in southern Illinois, with leaves made up of 7 to 13 leaflets;
the nut is thin-shelled, angular and bitter.
+SHAG-BARK HICKORY+ _Carya ovata_ K. Koch
THE shag-bark hickory is well known for its sweet and delicious nuts. It
is a large commercial tree, averaging 60 to 100 feet high and 1 to 2
feet in diameter. It thrives best on rich, damp soil and is common along
streams, on rich uplands, and on moist hillsides throughout the State.
[Illustration: SHAG-BARK HICKORY