Carya glabra (P. Miller) Sweet. Pignut Hickory. Phen: Apr-May; Oct. Hab: In a very wide variety of forests and woodlands. Dist: S. NH west to s. MI, se. IA, and se. KS, south to s. peninsular FL and e. TX.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: The C. glabra-C. ovalis portion of this treatment is tentative; in our area, this group has been variously treated as consisting of between 1 and 10 (or more) taxa. Here we recognize two species (C. glabra and C. ovalis) and no varieties, but further study of variation in this group is needed. Var. megacarpa in particular seems to show correlation of morphological traits and geographic distribution, with larger fruits (2.5-5 cm long vs. 1.5-3.5 cm long), thicker husks (ca. 3.5 mm thick vs. ca. 2 mm thick), large terminal leaflets (often to 20-25 cm long, vs. 10-17 cm long), and a primarily southern Coastal Plain distribution.
Synonymy: = C, Fl2, GW2, K1, NY, RAB, Tn, Va, WH3; = Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet var. glabra – W; < Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet – Ar, FNA3, K3, K4, Mi, NE, Pa; > Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet var. glabra – F, G, Il; > Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet var. megacarpa (Sarg.) Sarg. – F, G, Il; > Carya leiodermis Sarg. – Tx; > Carya ovalis (Wangenh.) Sarg. var. hirsuta (Ashe) Sarg. – F; > Carya porcina (F.Michx.) Nutt. ex Elliott; > Hicoria austrina Small – S; > Hicoria glabra (Mill.) Britton var. glabra – S; > Hicoria glabra (Mill.) Britton var. hirsuta Ashe – S; > Hicoria microcarpa (Sarg.) Sarg.
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