exam 3 juglandaceae species

black walnut features

• Form: medium to large tree up to 100 feet in height; develops a straight, clear bole with a narrow crown under competition

• Bark: brown on surface, darker brown when cut; ridged and furrowed with a rough diamond pattern

• Leaves: pinnately compound, 12-24’’ long with 10 to 24 leaflets (poorly formed or missing terminal leaflet), leaflets are ovate-lanceolate, finely serrate; yellow-green to green above

• Twigs: Stout, light brown, with a buff-colored chambered pith

• Buds: buds are tan, and large with a few pubescent scales; leaf scars are 3- lobed ("monkey face“)

• Flowers: monoecious; males are single- stemmed catkins, 2.5- 5.5’’ long; females on short spikes near twig end, yellow-green in color

• Fruit: Round, 2 to 2.5’’ across, with a thick, green indehiscent husk; husk contains hard endocarp surrounding sweet oily (edible) seed

black walnut ecology

• Very shade intolerant

• Large crops irregularly, distributed by small animals

• Moderate growth rate

• Life span: 250 years

• Site: Deep, rich moist alluvial soils

black walnut range and uses

• eastern US except coastal plain

• timber: excellent and coveted for fine furniture and cabinetwork

• food: edible for animals and people

• Dye: blackish dye from husks

butternut features

• Form: small to medium sized tree up to 60 feet with a forked or crooked trunk and wide-spreading branches

• Bark: Light, ashy gray, with flat-top, shiny ridges, developing diamond-shaped patterns

• Leaves: pinnately compound, 15-25’’ long, with 11 to 17 oblong-lanceolate leaflets with serrate margins; rachis is stout and pubescent with a well developed terminal leaflet

• Twigs: Stout, yellow-brown to gray, with a chambered pith that is very dark brown in color, “monkey- face” leaf scar with “eyebrow” (pubescence)

• Buds: large with a few light colored pubescent scales

• Flowers: monoecious; males are single-stemmed catkins, 2.5-5.5’’ long; females on short spikes near twig end, yellow-green in color

• Fruit: Oblong (lemon-shaped), with a yellow- green sticky indehiscent husk; husk contains irregularly furrowed, hard endocarp that contains sweet, oily seed (“nutmeat”, edible)

butternut ecology

• Shade intolerant

• Large seed crops, irregularly

• Moderate growth rate (110’)

• Life span: 75 years

• Site: Moist rich loams in coves, and dryer limestone soils

butternut range and uses

• eastern US except coastal plain

• timber- like walnut only lighter color, fine furniture, cabinet work, paneling

• food for humans and animals

• dye yellow orange from husks

typical hickories

• Overlapping bud scales (imbricate)

• 3 to 9 leaflets/leaf

• No wings on the fruit husk sutures

• Includes:
   Shagbark Hickory
   Shellbark Hickory
   Mockernut Hickory
   Pignut Hickory

pignut hickories

• Pairs of bud scales (valvate)

• 7 to 17 leaflets/ leaf

• Wings or ridges along fruit husk sutures

• Includes:
   Pecan
   Bitternut Hickory
   Water Hickory
   Nutmeg Hickory

shagbark hickory features

• Form: medium to tall tree 50-80 ft tall with a straight trunk and an open round to oblong crown

• Bark: first smooth and gray, later broken into long, wide strips attached at the middle, curving away from the trunk coarsely shaggy appearance

• Leaves: pinnately compound, 8-14’’ long with 5 (sometimes 7) leaflets, lateral leaflets are obovate to lanceolate, terminal leaflets much larger than the laterals, margins serrate and ciliate, rachis stout and mostly glabrous

• Twigs: stout, hairy, raised leaf scars

• Buds: terminal large; football shaped, scales persistent

• Flowers: monoecious; male flowers are yellow- green catkins, hanging in 3's, 2-3’’ long; females are very short, in clusters at the end of branches

• Fruit: nearly round, 1.5-2’’, with a very thick husk; endocarp is distinctly 4-ribbed

shagbark hickory ecology

• Moderately shade tolerant

• Slow growth, up to 120 ft

• Life span 300 years

• Seed distribution: animals and gravity; large crops every other year

• Site: Varies – upland to alluvial soils

shagbark hickory range and uses

• eastern US except Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains

• timber

• mast for animals, food for people

bitternut hickory features

• Form: medium to large tree (50-100 ft) with an open, rounded top

• Bark: Thin, tight and hard; gray with shallow furrows and interlacing ridges

• Leaves: pinnately compound, 7-10’’ long, with 7-11 leaflets, leaflets are lanceolate and serrate, rachis is slender and pubescent

• Twigs: Moderately stout to slender (when compared to other hickories), leaf scars 3- lobed

• Buds: terminal bud is valvate, 4-angled and sulfur-yellow to brown in color.

• Flowers: monoecious; males: yellow-green, drooping catkins with 3 hanging from one stalk, 3-4’’ long; females: short, 4-angled, on a terminal spike

• Fruit: Nearly globose but slightly flattened, 1’’ long, partially dehiscent from the middle to the sharp-pointed tip; husk is thin and 4-winged above the middle, often dusty-yellow looking

bitternut hickory ecology

• Moderate shade tolerance

• Slow growth to max of 170’

• Seed distribution by gravity and animals

• Site: variable moist or dry, upland forests

bitternut hickory range and uses

• eastern US 

• timber

mockernut hickory features

• Form: medium-large tree (> 100 feet) with a straight stem and a rounded crown

• Bark: interlaced, round-topped, light gray ridges and shallow, darker, furrows

• Leaves: pinnately compound, 9-14’’ long, with 7-9 serrate leaflets; rachis is stout and very pubescent

• Twigs: Stout and pubescent, 3-lobed leaf scars

• Buds: terminal bud is very large, broadly ovate; darker outer scales are deciduous in the fall, revealing a silky, nearly white bud scales

• Flowers: monoecious; male flowers: yellow-green drooping catkins, with 3 hanging from one stalk, 3-4’’ inches long; female flowers: very small in clusters of 2 to 5 near tip of twig

• Fruit: Obovoid to ellipsoidal in shape, 1.5-2’’ long, husk is thick (although less thick than C. ovata) and splits cleanly open, strongly 4-ribbed endocarp

mockernut hickory ecology

• Moderate shade tolerance

• Slow growth (max of 115”)

• Seed distribution: gravity and animals

• Site: variable, only hickory found on dry sandy soils

mockernut hickory range and uses

• eastern US

• timber, furniture, tool handles, baseball bats

• wildlife food

• fuel and charcoal

pignut hickory features

• Form: medium to large tree capable of reaching over 100 feet tall, with a rounded crown and a straight trunk

• Bark: obvious, close, interlacing shaggy-topped ridges

• Leaves: pinnately compound, 8-12’’ long, with 5 (sometimes 7) leaflets, leaflets are lanceolate and serrate, rachis slender and glabrous

• Twigs: Moderately stout to slender (rel. to other hickories) and glabrous; leaf scars are 3-lobed to cordate

• Buds: terminal bud is small (1/4 inch), ovate and light brown

• Flowers: monoecious; males: yellow-green, drooping catkins, with three hanging from one stalk, 2 to 3 inches long; females: very short in clusters at end of branches

• Fruit: Obovoid to pear- shaped, 1 to 2 inches long, with a thin husk that only partially splits upon maturation; endocarp is not ribbed, fairly round but flattened

pignut hickory ecology

• Moderately shade tolerant

• Slow growth rate

• Seed distribution by gravity and animals

• Site: Stream sides,

pignut hickory range and uses

• Eastern US

• timber, animal, mast

shellbark hickory features

• Form: large tree 80-100 feet tall, with a straight trunk and a narrow crown

• Bark: long, loose strips, resulting in a shaggy appearance (w/straighter plates than shagbark hickory)

• Leaves: pinnately compound with 5 to 9 (usually 7) leaflets,15-24’’ long

• Twigs: Stout, yellowish brown, usually glabrous, numerous lenticels, leaf scar three-lobed

• Buds: terminal bud elongated (larger than shagbark) with numerous persistent, brown scales

• Flowers: monoecious; males catkins yellow- green, 2-3’’; females small, in groups at branch tips

• Fruit: Round, 2-2.5’’ long, extremely thick husk (up to 1/2 inch), endocarp (“nut”) is 4- ribbed (maybe 6)

shellbark hickory ecology

• Moderate shade tolerance

• Slow growth

• Seeds distributed by gravity
  and animals

• Site: Wet alluvial bottoms

shellbark hickory range and uses

• ohio mississippi river valleys

• timber

pecan hickory features

• Form: large tree (can reach heights well over 100 feet) with spreading crown when in the open

• Bark: narrowly fissured into thin broken strips, often scaly

• Leaves: pinnately compound with 9-15 finely serrate and often curved leaflets, 12-18’’ long

• Twigs: moderately stout, light brown, fuzzy (particularly when young); leaf scars large and three lobed

• Buds: yellowish brown to brown, hairy, with terminal buds 1/4 to ½ inch long

• Flowers: monecious; male flowers in yellow- green catkins, often in pairs of three (4-5’’ long); females: small and yellowish green, 4- angled

• Fruit: usually occur in clusters on trees; Large: 1.5-2’’, oblong, husks are thin, brown, thin endocarp splotched with black

pecan hickory ecology

• Moderately shade tolerant

• Slow growth to max 180’

• Seed distributed by gravity and animals

• Site: moist, well drained ridges and river bottoms

pecan hickory range and uses

• Mississippi river valley and widely planted in the SE US

• furniture, flooring, veneer, charcoal