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Carya glabra (P. Miller) Sweet

Common names: pignut hickory, hairy pignut hickory, sweet pignut.
Synonyms: Carya glabra (P. Miller) Sweet var. glabra, Carya glabra (P. Miller) Sweet var. hirsuta (Ashe) Ashe, Carya glabra (P. Miller) Sweet var. megacarpa (Sargent) Sargent, Carya glabra (P. Miller) Sweet var. odorata (Marshall) Little, Carya leiodermis Sargent, Carya magnifloridana Murrill, Carya microcarpa (Nuttall) Britton, Carya ovalis (Wangenheim) Sargent, Carya ovalis (Wangenheim) Sargent var. hirsuta (Ashe) Boivin, Carya ovalis (Wangenheim) Sargent var. hirsuta (Ashe) Sargent, Carya ovalis (Wangenheim) Sargent var. obcordata (Muhlenberg & Willdenow) Sargent, Carya ovalis (Wangenheim) Sargent var. obovalis Sargent, Carya ovalis (Wangenheim) Sargent var. odorata (Marshall) Sargent, Hicoria austrina Small, Hicoria glabra (P. Miller) Britton, Hicoria glabra (P. Miller) Britton var. hirsuta Ashe, Hicoria microcarpa (Nuttall) Britton, Juglans glabra P. Miller.
Family: Juglandaceae.

Brief description:
A medium to large-sized, deciduous tree, typically ranging from 15–30 m (50–100 ft.) tall when fully grown. Buds are relatively large (3–15 mm long), and reddish brown to tan, with imbricate bud scales. Twigs are relatively slender. Bark of mature trunks is gray, with furrows and ridges, sometimes with small exfoliating scales, but not shaggy. Leaves are alternate, large (15–60 cm long), and pinnately compound, with 5–7 (occasionally 3 or 9) leaflets. Leaflets are oblancoleate to obovate or lanceolate to oval in shape, with coarsely to finely serrate margins. The lower surface of leaflets with no hairs to densely hairy. Leaves produce a pungent odor when bruised or crushed. Petioles lack hairs at the base, but become hairy closer to the rachis, which also lacks hairs or is finely hairy. Separate male and female inflorescences occur on the same tree, the male flowers in drooping catkins, the female flowers in short, terminal clusters. Fruits are typically medium to large sized (2.5–5 cm long), often pear-shaped nuts, enclosed in a moderately thick (2–5 mm) husk that often splits into four sections, although sometimes not splitting at all, or only along one or two sutures.

USDA Profile

Herbarium sheet images:
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Live specimen images:

• Individual leaf 1 • Individual leaf 2 • Branchlet with buds • Close-up of buds • Close-up of leaf scar •

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