Raffi at 07:06, 27 March 2007

2007-03-27T07:06:56Z

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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Shagbark Hickory
| image = Hickory07103.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Fagales]]
| familia = [[Juglandaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Hickory|Carya]]''
| species = '''''C. ovata'''''
| binomial = ''Carya ovata''
| binomial_authority = ([[Philip Miller|Mill.]]) [[Karl Heinrich Emil Koch|K.Koch]]
}}

The '''Shagbark Hickory''' (''Carya ovata'') is a common [[hickory]] in the [[Eastern United States|eastern United States]] and southeast [[Canada]]. It is a large [[deciduous]] [[tree]], growing up to 40 m tall, and will live up to 200 years old. Mature Shagbarks are easy to recognize because, as their name implies, they have shaggy bark. This character is however only found on mature trees; young specimens have smooth bark.

The [[leaf|leaves]] are 30-60 cm long, pinnate, with five (rarely three or seven) leaflets, the terminal three leaflets much larger than the basal pair. The [[flower]]s are small wind-pollinated [[catkin]]s, produced in spring. The [[fruit]] is an edible [[nut (fruit)|nut]], 2.5-4 cm long with a green four-valved cover which splits off at maturity in the fall and a hard, bony shell.
[[Image:Hickory.bark.jpg||thumb|left|Typical bark]]
There are two varieties:
*''Carya ovata'' var. ''ovata'' (Northern Shagbark Hickory). Largest leaflets over 20 cm long; nuts 3-4 cm long.
*''Carya ovata'' var. ''australis'' (Southern Shagbark Hickory or Carolina Hickory). Largest leaflets under 20 cm long; nuts 2.5-3 cm long.

Some sources consider Southern Shagbark Hickory as the separate species ''Carya carolinae-septentrionalis'' [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/caca38.htm] [http://www.itis.usda.gov:8080/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=501307]

===Uses===
The nuts are edible with an excellent flavor, and are a popular food among those who know them. The trees bear too seldom for them to be grown commercially.
Shagbark Hickory [[wood]] is used for [[smoking (food)|smoking]] [[meat]] and for making the [[bow (weapon)|bows]] of [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] of the northern area.

===Hickory Syrup===
The bark of the Shagbark Hickory is also used to flavour a maple syrup style sugar syrup

<gallery>
Image:Caov2 003 php.jpg|Nut exterior
Image:Caov2 002 phd.jpg|Nut anatomy
Image:Shagbark hickory trunk detail 2006-04-28.jpg|Trunk detail
</gallery>

==External links==
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500320 Flora of North America: ''Carya ovata'']
*[http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/pages/carya-compare-shag.htm Comparison of Shagbark, Southern Shagbark, and Kingnut Hickory at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu]
*[http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/caov2.htm ''Carya ovata'' (= ''Carya ovata'' var. ''ovata '') images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu]
*[http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/caca38.htm ''Carya carolinae-septentrionalis'' (= ''Carya ovata'' var. ''australis '') images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu]
*[http://www.cirrusimage.com/tree_shagbark_hickory.htm Shagbark Hickory - large format diagnostic photos tree, leaves, bark, nuts]
*[http://www.sankey.ws/crf/lavant.html The Lavant shagbarks]
*http://whatscookingamerica.net/Stores/HickorySyrup.htm
*http://www.hickoryworks.com/

[[Category:Fagales|Hickory, Shagbark]]
[[Category:Trees of Eastern United States|Hickory, Shagbark]]
[[Category:Trees of Southeastern Canada|Hickory, Shagbark]]

Shagbark Hickory - Revision history

Raffi at 07:06, 27 March 2007