''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 Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, found primarily in the southern

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

and the Lower Mississippi Valley. It is an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, where it occurs in the southwest corner of the state.

Description

Black hickory grows up to 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, but are sometimes bitter.

Genetics

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

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5047670 texana Edible nuts and seeds Endemic flora of the United States Plants described in 1861 Trees of Northern America Endangered flora of the United States Flora without expected TNC conservation status