Juglandaceae & Ash Identification Flashcards
pignut hickory - Carya glabra
Family: Juglandaceae
Growth habits: medium sized, straight growth, shallow crown
Leaf arrangement: alternate, pinnately compund
Leaf margins: unlobed, finely serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: typically 5 leaflets, smooth texture, smallest leaflets among hickories
Bark: tight bark, furrowed when mature, ridges split into “V” shape
Fruit: smallest among hickories, thin husk
Other: smallest twigs/buds among hickories
Range: widespread in eastern US and KY
white ash - Fraxinus americana
Family: Oleaceae
Growth habits: large up to 80’, straight growth, narrowly oblong crown
Leaf arrangement: opposite, pinnately compound
Leaf margins: unlobed, entire
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: underside of leaf has whitish stuff that is like surface of tongue
Bark: gray/brown, interlacing ridges that form diamonds, older trees may be scaly
Fruit: single wing samara, plump seed and wing does not envelope much of the seed
Other: curved “clown smile” leaf scar can differentiate from green ash
Range: widespread eastern NA, far north/high in Appalachians, widespread KY, more common in limestone regions central/western KY
nut husk is very fragrant
black walnut - Juglans nigra
Family: Juglandaceae
Growth habits: spreading, zig-zaggy branches, not trunk dominant at maturity
Leaf arrangement: alternate, pinnately compound
Leaf margins: finely serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: even numbered leaflets, usually no terminal leaflet (very small if so), slightly curved
Bark: deep brown/chocolate, deep fissures/furrows, rough
Fruit: round hard shelled nut, thick green husk, fragrant
Other:
Range: widespread eastern US, widespread KY, especially common central KY
bitternut hickory - Carya cordiformis
Family: Juglandaceae
Growth habits: can be very tall 100’, open rounded crown
Leaf arrangement: alternate, pinnately compound
Leaf margins: unlobed, serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: more leaflets than other hickories (7-11), leaflets gradually decrease in size from apex to base
Bark: tight, narrow ridges, lighter gray than other hickories
Fruit: small for a hickory, thin husk, raised wings at shell sutures
Other: naked yellow bud
Range: widespread eastern US, widespread KY
green ash - Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Family: Oleaceae
Growth habits: large, good form, very regular branching
Leaf arrangement: opposite, pinnately compound, 5-7, possibly 9 leaflets
Leaf margins: finely serrate, unlobed
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: elliptical shape (widest at middle)
Bark: rough and furrowed
Fruit: samara, wing slightly envelopes seed
Other: shield shaped bud on top of leaf scar
Range: wide spread eastern north America ranging into northern great plains in Canada
miniscule tufts of “hair” between teeth on leaf margin
shagbark hickory - Carya ovata
Family: Juglandaceae
Growth habits: canopy sized, straight trunk, narrow shallow crown in forest, 60-75’
Leaf arrangement: alternate, pinnately compound (usually 5 leaflets)
Leaf margins: unlobed, finely serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: odd number of leaflets, very miniscule tufts of hair between margin teeth (difficult to see)
Bark: vertical plates that separate from trunk, “shaggy”
Fruit: nut inside large green woody husk, round/pumpkin shaped, husk scraps on ground will be very thick and half moon shaped
Other:
Range: widespread eastern US, widespread KY
butternut, white walnut - Juglans cinerea
Family: Juglandaceae
Growth habits: small-med up to 60’, forked/crooked trunk, wide spreading branches
Leaf arrangement: alternate, pinnately compound
Leaf margins: unlobed, finely serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: usually has terminal leaflet, 11-17 leaflets, stout rachis
Bark: light ash gray, flat-topped shiny ridges, diamond patterns
Fruit: oblong, yellow-green to light brown, 4-ribbed
Other:
Range: northern US, uncommon to rare throughout most of KY
blue ash - Fraxinus quadrangulata
Family: Oleaceae
Growth habits: medium sized, can be massive and scrappy looking if open grown
Leaf arrangement: opposite, pinnately compound
Leaf margins: unlobed, finely serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: leaflets are lanceolate (widest near base) as opposed to elliptical for other ashes
Bark: irregular fissures, scaly ridges, tighter than other ashes
Fruit: twisted, flat samara
Other: Twigs are box-shaped, “4 angles”, can see lines lengthwise at corners along twigs
Range: central hardwoods
mockernut hickory - Carya tomentosa
Family: Juglandaceae
Growth habits: tall and straight in forest, up to over 100’
Leaf arrangement: alternate, pinnately compound
Leaf margins: unlobed, finely serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: typically 7 leaflets, stout rachis with tufts of hair, tufts of hair on leaflet underside
Bark: light gray ridges with dark shallow furrows, never shaggy
Fruit: large 4 ribbed nut very similar to shagbark
Other: “monkey face” leaf scar, large terminal bud hershey kiss shaped
Range: widespread eastern US except far north, widespread KY
leaves may be slightly fuzzy
shellbark hickory - Carya laciniosa
Family: Juglandaceae
Growth habits: tall, straight, thick twigs
Leaf arrangement: alternate, pinnately compound
Leaf margins: unlobed, finely serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: generally 7 leaflets, largest hickory leaves, slightly fuzzy, rachis is stout
Bark: similar to shagbark hickory
Fruit: largest hickory nut, oblong (shagbark is round), very thick shell, typically 4-ribbed
Other: sheds leaflets in fall but leaves rachis behind on tree, gives look of “claws)
Range: central hardwoods, western/central KY but not eastern KY
pecan - Carya illinoinensis
Family: Juglandaceae
Growth habits: large tree, can be over 100’, spreading crown
Leaf arrangement: alternate, pinnately compound
Leaf margins: finely serrate, unlobed
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaves other: often curved, 9-15 leaflets, smooth size graduation from base to tip, terminal present
Bark: smooth young, narrowly fissured in thin broken strips when mature
Fruit: thin shell, large, oblong, splotched with black, 1.5-2” long, raised wings
Other: twigs moderately fuzzy
Range: southern
