=Distribution.=--Quebec west to southern Minnesota, Kansas and eastern
Texas, thence eastward to the Atlantic through the north part of the
Gulf States. It is frequent to common in all parts of Indiana except on
the hills of the southern part. It prefers rich moist soil and is
generally found in bottom lands or on rolling land, and if in dryer
situations on the sides of hills. It is generally associated with red
oak, big shellbark hickory, swamp white oak, sweet gum, linn, white ash,
slippery elm, sugar maple, beech, etc. In the forest it is a tall
straight tree with few main branches for a crown. No tree carries its
taper better than this species. When grown in the open the side branches
do not shade off, and it grows to a medium height with a wide spreading
crown.
=Remarks.=--The writer has one specimen from Wells County which no doubt
should be referred to this species, but the description has not been
drawn to cover it. The twigs are very slender and pubescent; the leaves
are normal and pubescent; the fruit is obovoid, 2-4 cm. long; husk less
than 1 mm. thick at outer end and 2 mm. thick at the base; nut obovoid,
1-8 cm. long, little compressed, rounded at the base, rounded at the
apex, slightly angled, angles obscure on lower half; otherwise as the
type.
The species is very variable and no dependence can be placed upon such
characters as pubescence of the twigs, leaves or fruit, size of the
twigs, color of the anthers, size or shape of the nuts.
The wood of the shellbark and the big shellbark hickories is the most
used of all the hickories because it is generally freer from knots and
blemishes. Hickory is used principally for carriage and wagon stock,
agricultural implements, handles and fuel. The supply of hickory is fast
waning, and in the near future will be limited.
The hickories are very slow growing trees. They develop a long tap root,
hence are hard to transplant. Hickory should constitute an important
part of the woodlot. If this species is not well represented, germinated
nuts should be planted. The nut of this species usually sells for $3.00
to $5.00 per bushel, which should encourage land owners to plant it in
the open along fences and about the orchard. It should be remembered
that hickory will not stand much tramping by stock.
=3a.= =Carya ovata= variety =fraxinifòlia= Sargent. Trees and Shrubs
2:207:1913. Is described as having leaflets lanceolate to slightly
oblanceolate, acuminate, thick and firm in texture, lustrous above,
pubescent along the midribs below, the terminal 1.4-1.5 dm. long from
4.4-5 cm. wide, and raised on a slender puberulous petiolule, the
lateral leaflets unsymmetrical at the base, sessile, those of the
lowest pair 7-9 cm. long, and from 2.5-3 cm. wide. Sargent[20] says
"this variety occurs in Indiana," basing his authority upon my specimens
of which he has duplicates. Heimlich[21] reports this variety from White
County, and at the same time he reported the variety from Daviess,
Martin and Wells Counties, based upon specimens collected by the author
and determined by Sargent. I have carefully studied the specimens from
Daviess, Martin and Wells Counties, and they do not agree with Sargent's
description of the variety. While most of the leaves of the specimens in
question agree with the description, some do not, which excludes it from
the variety.
=3b.= =Carya ovata= variety =Nuttallii= Sargent. Trees and Shrubs
2:207:1913. This variety is described as having "nut rounded, obcordate
or rarely pointed at apex, rounded or abruptly pointed at the base, much
compressed, prominently angled, about 1.5 cm. long and 1-1.2 cm. thick;
the involucre 4-10 mm. thick, splits freely to the base. Except in size
of the fruit there appears to be no character by which the variety can
be distinguished from the common Shagbark." Heimlich[22] reported this
variety from Dekalb County, based upon specimens collected by the author
and determined by Sargent. The nuts of the specimens from Dekalb County
are 2 cm. long. The author has specimens from Wells County that agree
with the description.
=4.= =Carya laciniòsa= (Michaux filius) Loudon. Big Shellbark Hickory.
Plate 25. Large tall trees with trunks like those of the shellbark
hickory; bark of young trees tight, beginning to scale when the trees
reach a diameter of 1-2 dm., on older trees separating and scaling off
into long thin narrow strips; twigs at the end of the season stout, 4-7
mm. thick near the tip, the twigs of the season hairy at first, becoming
glabrous or nearly so by the end of autumn, yellowish or late in autumn
a rusty brown, frequently retaining the leaf-stalks of the leaves of the
previous season until spring which is peculiar to this species; terminal
buds large, ovoid to ovoid-oblong, 10-25 mm. long; ordinary leaves 3-5
dm. long; leaflets 5-9, prevailing number 7, ovate to oblong-lanceolate
or obovate, the largest 1-2 dm. long, velvety beneath when they unfold
and remaining hairy beneath until maturity, rarely nearly glabrous;
fruit ovate, subglobose, oblong or obovate, 3.5-7 cm. long; dry husk
3.5-11 mm. thick; nut variable, generally much compressed, up to 5.5 cm.
long, usually circular in outline, but varying from ovate to obovate and
oblong, usually each side has 2 or 3 ridges which extend more or less
often to the base; shell very thick; kernel sweet; wood and uses same as
that of the shellbark hickory.
[Illustration: Plate 25.