Comments
provided by eFloras
Carya cordiformis hybridizes with C . illinoinensis ( C . × brownii Sargent), C . ovata ( C . × laneyi Sargent), and C . laciniosa , and reputedly with the tetraploid C . glabra ( C . × demareei Palmer).
The Fox Indians used Carya cordiformis medicinally as a diuretic, a laxative, and a panacea (D. E. Moerman 1986).
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- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Description
provided by eFloras
Trees , to 52 m. Bark gray or brownish, smooth or ridged or exfoliating with small platelike scales. Twigs tan, slender, glabrous except scaly near tip. Terminal buds sulfur yellow to tan, oblong, 10(-19) mm, densely scaly with yellow peltate scales, pilose near apex; bud scales valvate; axillary buds protected by pair of valvate bracteoles. Leaves 2-4 dm; petiole 3-7 cm, glabrous near base, hirsute near rachis. Leaflets (5-)7-9(-13), lateral petiolules 0-1 mm, terminal petiolules 2-8 mm; blades ovate-lanceolate, rarely falcate, 3-19 × 1-7 cm, margins finely to coarsely serrate, without tufts of hairs, apex acuminate; surfaces abaxially villous with unicellular and 2-4-rayed fasciculate hairs along midrib and major veins, densely to sparsely pubescent throughout, and with abundant large peltate scales and small round and 2- or 4-lobed peltate scales in spring, still present near margins at base and apex in fall, adaxially villous along midrib near base, sparsely scaly in spring. Staminate catkins pedunculate, to 16 cm, stalks without hairs or hirsute, bracts scaly; anthers hirsute. Fruits brown, cylindric, obovoid, or nearly spheric, not compressed or only slightly compressed, 2-3 × 2-3.2 cm; husks rough, 2-3 mm thick, dehiscing to middle or slightly below, sutures winged; nuts light brown, ellipsoid to ovoid, not compressed or only slightly compressed, not angled, rugulose; shells thin. Seeds bitter. 2 n = 32.
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- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Distribution
provided by eFloras
Ont., Que.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.
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- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Flowering/Fruiting
provided by eFloras
Flowering spring.
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- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Habitat
provided by eFloras
River flood plains, well-drained hillsides, and limestone glades; 0-900m.
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- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Synonym
provided by eFloras
Juglans cordiformis Wangenheim, Beytr. Teut. Forstwiss., 25, plate 10, fig. 25. 1787; Hicoria cordiformis (Wangenheim) Britton; H. minima (Marshall) Britton
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- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Common Names
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
swampbitternut hickory
bitternut
swamp hickory
pignut hickory
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Cover Value
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
forestBitternut hickory provides nesting sites for a variety of cavity-nesting
birds in the Missouri oak-hickory forest [
1].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Description
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms:
forest,
treeBitternut hickory is a medium-to-large native, deciduous tree, typically
reaching a height of 60 to 80 feet (18-24 m) [
11,
13]. Under a forest
canopy, it develops a long branch-free trunk with little taper, and a
short rounded crown of slender ascending branches that broaden the crown
toward the top. The branchlets are sparse and tend to droop slightly
from the main ascending branches. The leaves are long and slender
[
9,
16].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Distribution
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
Bitternut hickory's range extends from southwestern New Hampshire,
Vermont, Maine, and southern Quebec; west to southern Ontario, central
Michigan, and northern Minnesota;, and south to eastern Texas and
northern Florida. It is most common from southern New England west to
Iowa and from southern Michigan south to Kentucky [
3,
13,
22,
26].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Fire Ecology
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
fire regimeBitternut hickory saplings are easily damaged by fire; older trees are
also susceptible to fire damage because of the low insulating capacity
of the bark [
26].
FIRE REGIMES : Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the
FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Fire Management Considerations
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
associationPeriodic burning effectively controlled bitternut hickory on the Kansas
prairie [
4].
The absence of fire increased the expansion of the Oak-Hickory
association in eastern Nebraska [
25].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info on this topic. More info for the term:
phanerophytePhanerophyte
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Habitat characteristics
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
treeIn the northern parts of its range, bitternut hickory occurs on a
variety of sites [
5,
14]. It is found on rich, loamy or gravelly soil,
low wet woods, and along borders of streams, but is also found on dry
uplands [
31]. In the south, bitternut is more restricted to moist sites
than in the north. It reaches it largest size on the rich bottomlands
of the lower Ohio River Basin [
5]. In the southwestern parts of its
range, bitternut hickory is common on poor, dry, gravelly upland soils.
Bitternut hickory is absent from the mountain forests of northern New
England and New York, and it is not found at the higher elevations in
the Appalachians [
25].
Principle tree assoicates are listed under Distribution and Occurrence.
Other commom tree associates include eastern hophornbean (Ostrya
virginiana), butternut (Juglans cinerea), and hackberry (Celtis
occidentalis). Common understory associates include largeflower
bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora), virginia creeper (Parthenocissus
quinquefolia), wood-nettle (Laportea canadensis), and violets (Viola
spp.) [
20,
26].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Habitat: Cover Types
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info on this topic. This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):
More info for the terms:
hardwood,
swamp21 Eastern white pine
22 White pine - hemlock
23 Eastern hemlock
24 Hemlock - yellow birch
25 Sugar maple - beech - yellow birch
26 Sugar maple - basswood
27 Sugar maple
28 Black cherry - maple
39 Black ash - American elm - red maple
40 Post oak - blackjack oak
42 Bur oak
43 Bear oak
44 Chestnut oak
45 Pitch pine
46 Eastern redcedar
51 White pine - chestnut oak
52 White oak - black oak - northern red oak
53 White oak
55 Northern red oak
57 Yellow-poplar
58 Yellow-poplar - eastern hemlock
59 Yellow-poplar - white oak - northern red oak
60 Beech sugar maple
64 Sassafras - persimmon
75 Shortleaf pine
76 Shortleaf pine - oak
78 Virginia pine - oak
79 Virginia pine
80 Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
82 Loblolly pine - hardwood
83 Longleaf pine - slash pine
87 Sweetgum - yellow poplar
91 Swamp chestnut oak - cherrybrak oak
103 Water tupelo - swamp tupelo
108 Red maple
110 Black oak
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Habitat: Ecosystem
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info on this topic. This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):
FRES10 White - red - jack pine
FRES11 Spruce - fir
FRES12 Longleaf - slash pine
FRES13 Loblolly - shortleaf pine
FRES14 Oak - pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES16 Oak - gum - cypress
FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood
FRES18 Maple - beech - birch
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Habitat: Plant Associations
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info on this topic. This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):
More info for the term:
forestK089 Black Belt
K095 Great Lakes pine forest
K096 Northeastern spruce - fir forest
K097 Southern spruce - fir forest
K099 Maple - basswood forest
K100 Oak - hickory forest
K101 Elm - ash forest
K102 Beech - maple forest
K103 Mixed mesophytic forest
K104 Appalachian oak forest
K106 Northern hardwoods
K107 Northern hardwoods - fir forest
K108 Northern hardwoods - spruce forest
K110 Northeastern oak - pine forest
K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest
K112 Southern mixed forest
K113 Southern floodplain forest
K114 Pocosin
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Immediate Effect of Fire
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
top-killMost fires top-kill the aboveground portions of the plant [
26].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Importance to Livestock and Wildlife
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fruitBitternut hickory fruit is generally considered unpalatable to wildlife
[
28]. Rabbits, beavers, and small rodents will occasionally feed on the
bark of bitternut hickory [
26].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Life Form
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
treeTree
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Management considerations
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More info for the term:
seedEstablishing hickory trees from seedlings is difficult because of seed
predators. Infrequent bumper crops usually produce some seedlings, but
seedling survival is poor under a dense canopy. Wherever advance
reproduction is adequate, clearcutting results in fast-growing sapling
stands. If there is no advance hickory reproduction, clearcutting
eliminates hickories except for stump sprouts. Light thinnings or
shelterwood cuts can be used to create advance hickory regeneration
[
15,
21,
26].
In three studies that were carried out in adjacent fields in southern
Ontario, atttempts to establish bitternut hickory in open-field
plantations were unsuccessful. Sowing of nuts was the least successful
method of afforestation because either germination or height increments
were too low [
30].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Nutritional Value
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
The foliage of bitternut hickory has a high calcium content [
26].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Occurrence in North America
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
AL AR CT DE FL GA IN IA KS LA
ME MD MA MI MN MS MO NE NH NJ
NY OH OK PA RI SC TX VT VA WV
WI ON PQ
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Other uses and values
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
Smoke from the wood of bitternut hickory is used to give hams and bacon
a "hickory smoked" flavor [
16,
23].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Phenology
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info on this topic. More info for the term:
fruitBitternut hickory flowers in April or May. The fruit ripens in
September and October and is dispersed from September through December
[
3,
6].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Plant Response to Fire
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
root crownBitternut hickory can sprout from the stump, root crown, or roots
following fire [
26].
The Research Paper by
Bowles and others 2007 provides information on postfire
response of several plant species, including bitternut hickory, that was not
available when this species review was originally written.
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Post-fire Regeneration
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms:
caudex,
root crown,
seedsurvivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Regeneration Processes
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms:
hypogeal,
root crown,
seed,
treeSeed production and dissemination: Bitternut hickory does not produce
abundant seed until the tree is approximately 30 years old [
16].
Optimum seed production extends from 50 to 125 years; trees that are
more than 175 years old seldom produce seed crops. Good seed crops
appear at 3- to 5-year intervals, with light seed crops borne in the
intervening years. Bitternut hickory seed is estimated to be from 75 to
85 percent viable. Seed dissemination is almost entirely by gravity
[
26].
Seedling development: Bitternut hickory is probably more tolerant of a
moist seedbed than other hickories and is the least susceptible to frost
damage. Germination is hypogeal. Bitternut hickory seedlings grown in
the open or light shade in the Ohio Valley were 13.3 inches (34 cm) at 4
years; sprouts of 1-year-old seedlings grown on red clay averaged 11
inches (28 cm) [
26].
Vegetative reproduction: Bitternut hickory is the most prolific rootand
stump-sprouter of the northern species of hickories, with sprouts
arising from stumps, root crown, and roots. Most sprouts from sapling
and pole-size trees are root crown sprouts, while those from
sawtimber-size trees are mostly root sprouts. Stump sprouts are less
numerous than either root crown sprouts or root suckers [
26].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Successional Status
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info on this topic. Bitternut hickory are generally classified as intolerant of shade but
bitternut hickory seedlings appear to be more tolerant on overflow
bottomlands than most of its associates [
26]. Top dieback and
resprouting may occur frequently with each successive shoot attaining a
larger size and developing a stronger root system than its predecessor.
By this process, hickory reproduction gradually accumulates and develops
under moderate canopies, especially on sites dry enough to restrict
reproduction of more tolerant, but more fire- or drought-sensitive
species [
7,
8,
26].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Taxonomy
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
The currently accepted scientific name for bitternut hickory is Carya
cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch [
3,
18]. There are no recognized
subspecies, varieties, or forms.
Bitternut hickory naturally hybridizes with the following [
26]:
C. illinoensis (C. X brownii Sarg.)
C. glabra (C. X demareei Palmer)
C. ovata (C. X laneyi Sarg.)
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Value for rehabilitation of disturbed sites
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
The deep lateral roots of bitternut hickory make it a valuable species
for watershed protection. Bitternut hickory has been grown successfully
on zinc mine waste sites in southwestern Wisconsin [
2].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Wood Products Value
provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term:
hardwoodThe hardwood of bitternut hickory is used for making tools, furniture,
paneling, dowels, and ladders. Bitternut hickory is also desirable for
charcoal and fuelwood [
16,
26].
- bibliographic citation
- Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Carya cordiformis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Associated Forest Cover
provided by Silvics of North America
Bitternut hickory, though present throughout the eastern forest,
does not grow in sufficient numbers to be included as a titled
species in the Society of American Foresters forest cover types
(8), but it is mentioned as an associated species in six types.
With one exception, most of these types are subclimax to climax.
In the northern forest region, the types are Sugar Maple-Basswood
(Society of American Foresters Type 26) and Sugar Maple (Type
27); in the central forest region, White Oak-Black Oak-Northern
Red Oak (Type 52) and White Oak (Type 53); in the southern forest
region, Loblolly Pine-Shortleaf Pine (Type 80) and Swamp Chestnut
Oak-Cherrybark Oak (Type 91). Hickories are mentioned, but not
individually identified, in 16 other cover types; however, 5 of
these mentioned types are subclimax to climax.
Because bitternut hickory occupies many sites throughout its
geographic range, its associations vary. In addition to the
species named in the cover types, bitternut hickory grows with
various oaks (Quercus spp.) in the northern region. In
the southern part of Quebec, there is a sugar maple-bitternut
hickory subtype that is restricted to deep soils. Trees
associated with it include basswood (Tilia spp.), eastern
hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), northern red oak (Quercus
rubra), butternut (Juglans cinerea), and black maple
(Acer nigrum). In the central hardwood region, extending
in to northwestern Minnesota, bitternut hickory is found with
hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), green ash (Fraxinus
pennsylvanica), and butternut. Common understory herbaceous
stems include largeflower bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora),
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), hepatica
(Hepatica acutiloba), wood-nettle (Laportea
canadensis), wild ginger (Asarum canadense), large
flowering trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), springbeauty
(Claytonia caroliniana), violets (Viola spp.), anemone
(Anemone spp.), Solomons-seal (Polygonatum
pubescens), and false Solomons-seal (Smilacina stellata).
In upland oak types of the central forest region, bitternut
hickory is commonly associated with mockernut hickory (C.
tomentosa), pignut hickory (C. glabra), and shagbark
hickory (C. ovata). Other common associates are
yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), blackgum (Nyssa
sylvatica), white ash (Fraxinus americana), green
ash, maples, elms (Ulmus spp.), pines (Pinus spp.),
and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Important
understory trees and shrubs associated with bitternut include
dogwood (Cornus spp.), sassafras (Sassafras albidum),
sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), downy serviceberry
(Amelanchier arborea), redbud (Cercis canadensis),
American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), eastern
hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), witch-hazel (Hamamelis
virginiana), sumac (Rhus spp.), viburnums (Viburnum
spp.), rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum), wild
grape (Vitis spp.), greenbriers (Smilax spp.), Virginia
creeper, and poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Bitternut
hickory is also prominent in the southern bottom-land hardwood
swamps, in the cover type Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak. There it
is found with shellbark hickory (C. laciniosa), shagbark
and mockernut hickories, green and white ash, white oak (Quercus
alba), Shumard oak (Q. shumardii), Delta post oak
(Q. stellata var. paludosa), and blackgum.
Understory vegetation in this area includes pawpaw (Asimina
triloba), American hornbeam, flowering dogwood, painted
buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica), devils -walkingstick (Aralia
spinosa), redbud, American holly (Ilex opaca), dwarf
palmetto (Sabal minor), southern arrowwood (Viburnum
dentatum), and possumhaw (Ilex decidua).
In the southern pine forest region, bitternut hickory is found
primarily as an understory species on dry open sites where
shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) predominates along with
blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica), post oak, mockernut
hickory, pignut hickory, and flowering dogwood. Vines, herbaceous
vegetation, and shrubs are sparse. The most common understory
vegetation includes hawthorns (Crataegus spp.), beautyberry
(Callicarpa americana), blueberry (Vaccinum spp.),
sumacs, longleaf uniola (Uniola sessiflora), panicums
(Panicum spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), and
bluestems (Andropogon spp.).
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- copyright
- USDA, Forest Service
Climate
provided by Silvics of North America
Throughout the range of bitternut hickory, the mean annual
precipitation ranges from 640 to 1270 mm (25 to 50 in) except for
a small area in the southern Appalachians where about 2030 mm.
(80 in) is common. In the northern part of the range, snowfall
averages 203 cm (80 in) per year, but in the southern extreme of
the range, it rarely snows. During the growing season, from April
to September, the precipitation ranges from 510 to 1020 mm (20 to
40 in).
Annual temperatures range from about 4° to 18° C (40°
to 65° F), July temperatures from about 18° to 27°
C (65° to 80° F), and January temperatures from -15°
to 12° C (5° to 54° F). Extremes of 46° to
-40° C (115° to -40° F) have occurred within the
range. Bitternut seldom grows in areas where the growing season
is less than 120 or more than 240 days long (30,34).
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- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- USDA, Forest Service
Damaging Agents
provided by Silvics of North America
Bitternut hickory saplings are easily
damaged by fire, and older trees also are susceptible to fire
damage because of the low insulating capacity of the hard bark
(13,24). It is not affected by severe diseases but has many of
the problems common to most hickories; these include mineral
streaks and sapsucker-induced streaks that degrade lumber. White
heart rot (Poria spiculosa) is the most widespread and
damaging disease of hickory. This trunk rot can produce extensive
decay from wounds. A common white wood rot (Phellinus
igniarius) also attacks bitternut hickory through fire
wounds. Occasionally Nectria (Nectria galligena) and
Strumella (Strumella coryneoidea) produce cankers on the
stems of bitternut hickory, but most fungi cause little, if any,
decay in small young trees. In general, the hard, strong, durable
wood of hickories makes them relatively resistant to decay fungi
(2,10,13).
Foliage diseases such as leaf mildew, witches' broom (Microstroma
juglandis), and leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella dendroides)
occur on all hickory species. Pecan scab (Cladosporium
effusum) also occurs on foliage, and bitternut hickory is a
host to anthracnose (Gnomonia caryae).
Nuts of all hickory species are susceptible to attack by the
hickory nut weevil (Curculio caryae). Another weevil (Conotrachelus
aratus) attacks young shoots and leaf petioles. The Curculio
species are the most damaging, often destroying 65 percent of the
hickory nut crop (1).
The most important bark beetle attacking bitternut hickory is the
hickory bark beetle (Scolytus quadrispinosus). Attacks by
this insect are more serious during drought years and where
hickory species are growing rapidly, The twig girdler (Oncideres
cingulata) often seriously deforms trees by severing
branches, and sometimes these girdlers even cut hickory seedlings
near ground level (1). Two casebearers (Acrobasis
caryivorella and A juglandis) feed on buds and leaves
and later bore into succulent hickory shoots. Larvae of A. caryivorella
may destroy entire nut sets. The living-hickory borer (Goes
pulcher) feeds on hickory boles and branches throughout the
East. Borers that commonly feed on dying or dead hickories and
logs include the banded hickory borer (Knulliana cincta),
a long-horned beetle (Saperda discoidea), apple twig
borer (Amphicerus bicaudatus), the flatheaded ambrosia
beetle (Platypus compositus), redheaded ash borer (Neoclytus
acuminatus), and a false powderpost beetle (Scobicia
bidentata).
Insects that severely damage lumber and manufactured hickory
products include the powderpost beetles (Lyctus spp.) and
Polycanon stoutii. Gall insects (Caryomyia spp.) commonly
infest leaves. The fruit-tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila)
and the hickory leafroller (Argyrotaenia juglandana) are
the most common leaf feeders. Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar)
larvae feed on hickory leaves, but hickories are not the
gypsy moth's favorite food. The giant bark aphid (Longistigma
caryae) is common on the bark of hickories. This aphid feeds
on twigs and can cause branch mortality. European fruit lecanium
(Parthenolecanium corni) is common in hickories (1).
Some birds and mammals eat the nuts when there are less favored
hickory nuts available. Together with losses from insects and
disease, these virtually eliminate the annual nut production
except during bumper seed crop years.
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Flowering and Fruiting
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Bitternut hickory is monoecious;
male and female flowers are produced on the same tree. The male
flowers are in catkins about 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) long and are
produced on branches from axils of leaves of the previous season
or from the inner scales of the terminal bud at the base of the
current growth. Female flowers are about 13 mm (0.5 in) long and
appear in short spikes on peduncles terminating in shoots of the
current year (3). Depending on latitude and weather, greenish
flowers bloom in the spring from April to May. Usually the male
flowers emerge before the female flowers. Hickories produce very
large amounts of pollen that are carried by the wind.
Ripe fruits are about 25 to 40 mm (1.0 to 1.5 in) long, and
solitary or in clusters of two or three; they are subglobose with
a yellowish-green, often minutely scurfy, thin husk that is
four-winged above the middle. Fruits are slightly flattened. The
fruit ripens from September to October and contains
bitter-tasting kernels. The drupelike nuts are subglobose, light
reddish brown to gray-brown, thin-shelled, two-lobed, and
abruptly pointed into a conical head (10,11,17,21).
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Genetics
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To date, no information has been published concerning population
or other genetic studies of this species.
Hickories are well-known for their variability and many natural
hybrids among North American species are known. Usually the
species within each genus can be successfully intercrossed (14).
Bitternut hickory naturally hybridizes with the following
species: C. illinoensis (C. x brownii Sarg.),
C. glabra (C. X demareei Palmer),
and C. ovata (C. x laneyi Sarg.).
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Growth and Yield
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Bitternut hickory typically attains a
height of about 30 m (100 ft) and 61 to 91 cm (24 to 36 in) in
d.b.h. The tree attains its best height growth in the rich bottom
lands of the lower Ohio River Basin (7). Its life span is about
200 years.
Second-growth bitternut hickory on a good site in the Ohio Valley
reached the following average heights and diameters (23):
Hieght
Age
d.b.h.
(yr)
(m)
(ft)
(cm)
(in)
10
3.0
10
5
2.0
20
7.3
24
10
4.0
30
12.2
40
15
6.0
40
15.8
52
19
7.6
50
18.9
62
23
9.2
60
21.0
69
29
11.4
70
--
--
33
13.0
Growth rates (d.b.h.) of hickory species have been compared to
other species in Appalachian hardwood stands as follows (29):
dominant-codominant hickories 38 to 51 cm (15 to 20 in) in d.b.h.
in well-stocked stands on good oak sites grew slower than
northern red oak, yellow-poplar, black cherry (Prunus
serotina), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Hickories
grew about the same as chestnut oak Quercus prinus), white
oak, sweet birch (Betula lenta), and American beech (Fagus
grandifolia). Diameter growth for hickory was about 0.3 cm
(0.12 in) per year; it was about 0.5 cm (0.20 in) for black
cherry and about 0.6 cm (0.23 in) for yellow-poplar and red oak.
Equations are available for predicting merchantable gross volumes
from hickory stump diameters in Ohio (12). Also, procedures are
described for predicting diameters and heights and for developing
volume tables to any merchantable top diameter for hickory
species in southern Illinois and West Virginia (22,37).
Bitternut hickory generally prunes itself more readily than other
hickories. Epicormic branching is not a problem with hickory
species, but occasionally a few branches do occur (27,29). In
bitternut hickory, the ratio of sapwood to heartwood is low;
sapwood seldom is more than 38 mm (1.5 in) wide or more than 25
years old (23). Bitternut hickory is the hardiest of the
hickories (26), as indicated by its wide geographic range.
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Reaction to Competition
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Bitternut hickory is
considered intolerant of shade but seems to have a higher
seedling tolerance on bottom lands than most of its associates
(24). Hickories also can be intermediate in tolerance (23,29).
Bitternut is less susceptible to frost damage than other
hickories (24).
Silvicultural practices for managing the oak-hickory type are
summarized by Watt et al. (36). Establishing hickory trees from
seedlings is difficult because of seed predators. Infrequent
bumper seed crops usually provide some seedlings, but seedling
survival is poor under a dense canopy. Because of its prolific
sprouting ability, hickory reproduction can survive browsing,
breakage, drought, and fire. Top dieback and resprouting may
occur frequently, with each successive shoot attaining a larger
size and developing a stronger root system than its predecessors
(16). By this process, hickory reproduction gradually accumulates
and develops under moderately dense canopies, especially on sites
dry enough to restrict reproduction of more tolerant, but more
fire- or drought-sensitive species.
Wherever hickory advance reproduction is adequate, clearcutting
results in fast-growing sapling stands of hickories. If there is
no advance hickory reproduction, clearcutting eliminates
hickories except for stump sprouts. Theory suggests that light
thinnings or shelterwood cuts can be used to create advance
hickory regeneration, but this has not been demonstrated.
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Rooting Habit
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Bitternut hickory develops a dense root
system with a pronounced taproot. It is windfirm and can be
transplanted more successfully than any other hickory species
(20).
Early root growth is primarily into the taproot, which typically
reaches a depth of 30 to 91 cm (12 to 36 in) during the first
year (32). Small laterals originate throughout the length of the
taproot but may die back during the fall. During the second year,
the taproot may reach a depth of 122 ern (48 in) and the laterals
grow rapidly. After about 5 years or so, the root system attains
its maximum depth, and the horizontal spread of the roots is
about double that of the branches. By age 10, the height of the
top is about four times the depth of the taproot while the spread
of the crown branches is only about half that of the root system.
Mature pecan hickory root systems have a deep taproot, with
lateral roots emerging at nearly right angles to the taproot, but
no major lateral roots. Pecan hickory roots begin to develop just
before spring shoot growth. Roots are more responsive to
favorable conditions of soil or climate, and conversely more
sensitive to adverse conditions. Depending on environmental
conditions, there are usually four to eight cycles of root growth
during the year (32).
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Seed Production and Dissemination
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Bitternut hickory seeds
are dispersed from September through December. This species does
not produce seeds abundantly until the tree is approximately 30
years old. Optimum production extends from 50 to 125 years; trees
that are more than 175 years old seldom produce good seed crops
(3).
Good seed crops occur at 3- to 5-year intervals, with light crops
in the intervening years. Bitternut hickory seed is estimated to
be from 70 to 85 percent viable (28). Germination requires 90 to
120 days. Seeds for all species seldom remain viable when they
are in the ground for more than 1 year. Clean bitternut seeds may
range from 275 to 410/kg (125 to 185/lb) (3).
Seed dissemination is almost entirely by gravity; the fruit is
thought to be generally distasteful to wildlife (35). Since
bitternut grows in wet bottom land, floodwater probably
influences its seeding range.
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Seedling Development
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Embryo dormancy in hickory seed can
be overcome by stratification in a moist medium at 0.6° to
4.4° C (33° to 40° F) for 30 to 150 days; when
stored for a year or more, seed may require only 30 to 60 days'
stratification. Bitternut seeds can probably tolerate a more
moist seedbed than most of the other hickories, and it is the
least susceptible to frost. Germination is hypogeal. On red clay
soil in the Ohio Valley under open or lightly shaded conditions,
bitternut hickory seedlings measured 34 cm (13.3 in) in height at
4 years. Sprouts of 1-year-old bitternut seedlings grown on red
clay averaged 28 cm (11 in) (23).
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Soils and Topography
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Bitternut hickory grows in moist mountain valleys along
streambanks and in swamps. Although it is usually found on wet
bottom lands, it grows on dry sites and also grows well on poor
soils low in nutrients (10).
In the northern part of its range, bitternut hickory is found on a
variety of sites. It grows on rich, loamy, gravelly soil in low
wet woods, and along the borders of streams in Michigan, but it
is also found on dry uplands. In the southern part of its range,
bitternut is more restricted to moist sites. It reaches its
largest size on the rich bottom lands of the lower Ohio River
Basin. In the southeastern part of its range, bitternut grows on
overflow bottom land, but in its southwestern range, it is common
on poor, dry, gravelly upland soils. Bitternut is not found in
the mountain forests of northern New England and New York, nor at
higher elevations in the Appalachians (23).
Bitternut hickory grows primarily on Ultisols that occupy
about 50 percent of its geographic range (33). These soils are
low in nutrients and are found primarily in the southern to
mid-Atlantic region on gentle to steep slopes. Along the
mid-Atlantic, southern, and western ranges, bitternut hickory
grows on a variety of soils on slopes of 25 percent or less,
including combinations of fine to coarse loams and well-drained
quartz sands. On slopes steeper than 25 percent, bitternut
hickory grows on coarse loams.
Inceptisols occupy about 15 percent of the bitternut hickory
range, dominating the Appalachian portion of the geographic
range. On gently to moderately sloped topography, the hickories
are found on fine loams with a fragipan. On steep slopes, they
are more commonly found on coarse loams. These soils are moderate
to high in nutrients and water is available to plants during more
than half of the year or more than 3 consecutive months during
the warm season.
Mollisols occupy an estimated 20 percent of the bitternut hickory
range primarily in western areas (33). These soils typically have
a dark, deep, fertile surface horizon more than 25 cm (10 in)
thick. Mollisols form under grass in climates that have moderate
seasonal precipitation. Bitternut grows on a variety of soil
combinations such as wet, fine loams, and sandy-textured soils
that often have been burned, plowed, and pastured.
Alfisols comprise about 15 percent of the bitternut range, mainly
in northern and northwestern portions. These soils contain a
medium to high supply of nutrients. In Minnesota and Wisconsin,
bitternut hickory is found on moist, well-drained, sandy soils
with slopes up to 25 percent. Near Lake Erie and in southern
Illinois and northeastern Missouri, it occasionally occurs on wet
to moist, poorly drained soils on slopes of less than 10 percent.
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Special Uses
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Bitternut is used for lumber and pulpwood. Pecan. hickories, such
as bitternut, are not equal to true hickories in strength,
hardness, and toughness. Based on ovendry weight and green
volume, the specific gravity of green bitternut wood is 0.60; at
12 percent moisture content, the specific gravity is 0.66 (31).
Hickory species are most desirable for charcoal and fuelwood;
pecan hickories are less desirable than the ~rue hickories.
Bitternut hickory ranks third in heating value among hickories
(25); it burns with ~m intense flame and leaves little ash.
Because bitternut hickory wood is hard and durable, it is used for
furniture, paneling, dowels, too] handles, and ladders. It is a
choice fuel for smoking meats (15). Other uses include bars,
crates', pallets, and flooring (10).
Bitternut hickory seeds are eaten by wildlife but are of little
value for human consumption because of their high tannin content,
and extreme bitterness and astringency (7,18,26,35). Seeds do not
usually constitute a large portion of the diet of squirrels.
Rabbits, beavers, and small rodents and mammals occasionally feed
on the bark of hickory species (5,35). The foliage of bitternut,
hickory has a high calcium content and is near the top of the
list of soil-improving species (4).
Early settlers used oil extracted from the nuts for oil lamps.
They also believed the oil was valuable as a cure for rheumatism
(19). Bitternut hickory is desirable as an ornamental or shade
tree, and the dense root system provides good soil stability.
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Vegetative Reproduction
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Stump and root sprouting are
common among pecan hickories. Bitternut hickory is the most
prolific root and stump sprouter of the northern species of
hickory, with sprouts arising from stumps, root collar, and
roots. Most sprouts from saplings and pole-size trees are at the
root collar, and sprouts from sawtimber-size trees are root
suckers. Stump sprouts are usually less numerous than root collar
sprouts or root suckers (9,23). Bitternut hickory develops a
dense root system and can be transplanted more successfully than
other hickories. For this reason, it may have promise as root
stock for grafting and budding; however, propagation is usually
by seed, with best results in early spring (10,13,20). Techniques
for selecting, packing, and storing hickory propagation wood have
been described (19).
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Brief Summary
provided by Silvics of North America
Juglandaceae -- Walnut family
H. Clay Smith
Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis), also called bitternut,
swamp hickory, and pignut hickory, is a large pecan hickory with
commercial stands located mostly north of the other pecan
hickories.
Bitternut hickory is cut and sold in mixture with the true
hickories. It is the shortest lived of the hickories, living to
about 200 years. The dark brown close-grained hardwood is highly
shock resistant which makes it excellent for tools. It also makes
good fuel wood and is planted as an ornamental.
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Distribution
provided by Silvics of North America
Bitternut hickory is probably the most abundant and most uniformly
distributed of all the hickories. It grows throughout the eastern
United States from southwestern New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine,
and southern Quebec; west to southern Ontario, central Michigan,
and northern Minnesota; south to eastern Texas; and east to
northwestern Florida and Georgia. It is most common, however,
from southern New England west to Iowa and from southern Michigan
south to Kentucky (6,23,26).
-The native range of bitternut hickory.
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Carya cordiformis
provided by wikipedia EN
Carya cordiformis, the bitternut hickory,[2] also called bitternut or swamp hickory, is a large pecan hickory with commercial stands located mostly north of the other pecan hickories. Bitternut hickory is cut and sold in mixture with the true hickories. It is the shortest-lived of the hickories, living to about 200 years.[3]
Description
It is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 35 m (115 ft) tall (exceptionally to 47 m or 154 ft), with a trunk up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) diameter. The leaves are 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long, pinnate, with 7–11 leaflets, each leaflet lanceolate, 7–13 cm (2+3⁄4–5 in) long, with the apical leaflets the largest but only slightly so. The flowers are small wind-pollinated catkins, produced in spring. The fruit is a very bitter nut, 2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 in) long with a green four-valved cover which splits off at maturity in the fall, and a hard, bony shell. Another identifying characteristic is its bright sulfur-yellow winter bud.
It is closely related to the pecan, sharing similar leaf shape and being classified in the same section of the genus Carya sect. Apocarya, but unlike the pecan, it does not have edible nuts. It is most readily distinguished from the pecan by the smaller number of leaflets, with many leaves having only 7 leaflets (rarely fewer than 9, and often 11–13, in the pecan). Hybrids with the pecan are known, and named Carya × brownii. A hybrid between the shagbark hickory (C. ovata) is also recognized, and is known as Laney's hickory (Carya ×laneyi).[4]
Habitat
Bitternut hickory grows in moist mountain valleys along streambanks and in swamps. Although it is usually found on wet bottom lands, it grows on dry sites and also grows well on poor soils low in nutrients. The species is not included as a titled species in the Society of American Foresters forest cover types because it does not grow in sufficient numbers.
Range
Bitternut hickory grows throughout the eastern United States from southwestern New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and southern Quebec; west to southern Ontario, central Michigan, and northern Minnesota; south to eastern Texas; and east to northwestern Florida and Georgia. It is most common, however, from southern New England west to Iowa and from southern Michigan south to Kentucky. It is probably the most abundant and most uniformly distributed of all the hickories.
Uses
Bitternut is used for lumber and pulpwood. Because bitternut hickory wood is hard and durable, it is used for furniture, paneling, dowels, tool handles and ladders. Like other hickories, the wood is used for smoking meat, and by Native Americans for making bows. Bitternut hickory seeds are eaten by rabbits,[5] and both its seeds and bark are eaten by other wildlife.
Genetics
Bitternut hickory is a diploid species with two sets of sixteen chromosomes that readily hybridizes with other diploid hickory species with a few named hican varieties available. The pecan variety 'Major' has bitternut alleles at two simple sequence repeat loci indicating a cryptic cross that may also have involved C. ovata.
Gallery
US range map of Carya cordiformis
Branch of a bitternut hickory with developing nuts
Carya cordiformis, 1940 accession, in fall
References
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Carya cordiformis: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Carya cordiformis, the bitternut hickory, also called bitternut or swamp hickory, is a large pecan hickory with commercial stands located mostly north of the other pecan hickories. Bitternut hickory is cut and sold in mixture with the true hickories. It is the shortest-lived of the hickories, living to about 200 years.
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