Carya texana

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Black hickory
Apparently Secure
Apparently Secure (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Juglandaceae
Genus: Carya
Section: Carya sect. Carya
Species:
C. texana
Binomial name
Carya texana
Buckley (1861)
Natural range of Carya texana
Synonyms[3]
List
  • Carya arkansana Sarg.
  • Carya buckleyi Durand
  • Carya glabra var. villosa (Sarg.) B.L.Rob.
  • Carya texana var. arkansana (Sarg.) Little
  • Carya texana f. glabra E.J.Palmer & Steyerm.
  • Carya texana f. pachylemma Sarg.
  • Carya texana var. villosa (Sarg.) Little
  • Carya villosa (Sarg.) C.K.Schneid.
  • Hicoria arkansana (Sarg.) Ashe
  • Hicoria glabra var. villosa Sarg.
  • Hicoria pallida var. arkansana (Sarg.) Ashe
  • Hicoria villosa (Sarg.) Ashe
  • Hicorius arkansana Ashe
  • Hicorius buckleyi Ashe

Carya texana (called black hickory for its dark colored bark, or Texas hickory) is a North American tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae. It is endemic to the United States, found primarily in the southern Great Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley.[4][5] It is an endangered species in Indiana,[6] where it occurs in the southwest corner of the state.[7]

Description

Black hickory grows up to 41 m (135 ft) tall. It has dark gray to black bark with a tight "diamond" patterning. The leaves usually have a dense coating of scales, imparting a rusty brown color. They are pinnately compound usually with seven leaflets, but sometimes five or nine. The fruits (nuts) are bronze to reddish brown and the seeds can be sweet and edible,[8][9] but are sometimes bitter.[10]

Genetics

Black hickory is a 64-chromosome species that readily hybridizes with tetraploid C. tomentosa.[9] Hybrids with 32 chromosomes may also occur.

References

  1. Barstow, M. (2018). "Carya texana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018 e.T66789177A66789184. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T66789177A66789184.en. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  2. NatureServe (5 June 2026). "Carya texana". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer (Web application). Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  3. "Carya texana Buckley". World Flora Online. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  4. "Plant Profile for Carya texana (black hickory)". Natural Resources Conservation Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  5. Floristic Synthesis of North America (2 November 2014). "Carya texana 2014 county distribution map". Biota of North America Program. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  6. "Endangered, Threatened, and Extirpated Plant Species of Indiana" (PDF). Indiana Department of Natural Resources. 29 October 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  7. "Black Hickory Carya texana". Native Trees of Indiana River Walk. Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  8. Stone, Donald E. (1997). "Carya texana". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America. Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195112467. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  9. Grauke, L. J. "C. texana Buckley. Black Hickory". Crop Germplasm Research Unit. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017.
  10. Little, Elbert L. (1980). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region. New York: Knopf. p. 355. ISBN 0-394-50760-6.
  11. Britton, N.L.; Brown, A. (1913). An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 584. OCLC 695774069.