Carya
(from karya, a Walnut-tree, from karyon, a nut). Hickory. SYN. Scorias. ORD. Juglandaceae. Very handsome hardy deciduous trees, far too rarely seen in this country. This genus differs from Juglans in having the male catkins clustered, with from three to ten stamens in each flower, and the firm (at length) dry exocarp splitting into four regular valves, and falling away from the smooth, bony endocarp or shell. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, of five to fifteen leaflets, serrate; the lateral ones in opposite, or nearly opposite, pairs, and all spreading in one plane. Propagation is effected by nuts, planted where the trees are intended to remain, as most of the species have very long tap roots, which, with the exception of C. amara, are nearly destitute of fibres. The species here described are all North American. C. alba (white).* Shell-bark Hickory. fl., catkins glabrous. May, fr. globular or depressed; nut white, compressed, barely mucronate, the shell thinnish. l., leaflets five, finely serrate, when young minutely downy beneath; the lower pair oblong-lanceolate, the three upper obovate-lanceolate. h. 50ft. to 70ft. (W. D. B. 148.) C. amara (bitter).* Bitter Nut, or Swamp Hickory. fl., sets of catkins in pairs. April. fr. globular, narrowly six-ridged; nut globular, short-pointed. l, leaflets seven to eleven, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, pubescent when young afterwards almost glabrous. h. 50ft. to 60ft. 1800. (T. S. M. 226.) C. olivaeformis (Olive-formed). Pecan Nut. fr., nut oliveshaped. l., leaflets thirteen to fifteen, oblong-lanceolate, tapering gradually to a slender point, falcate, serrate. h. 30ft. 1766.
C. porcina (pig). Pig Nut, or Broom Hickory. fr., nut oblong or oval, with a thick bony shell. l., leaflets five to seven, oblong or obovate-lanceolate, and taper-pointed, serrate, glabrous or nearly so. h. 70ft. to 80ft. (T. S. M. 224.) C. tomentosa (tomentose).* Mocker Nut; White-heart Hickory. fl., catkins short, and lower surface of leaves tomentose when young, resinous-scented. May. fr. on some trees globular or ovoid, with a thick and hard husk; nut globular, not compressed, four-ridged towards the slightly pointed summit, brownish, very thick shelled. l., leaflets seven to nine, obovate-lanceolate, or lower oblong-lanceolate, pointed. h. 60ft. to 70ft. 1766. (T. S. M. 222.) C.t. maxima (largest). fr. globose, nearly twice the size of that of the type; "as large as an apple;" husk exceedingly thick.