The BARK is dark gray, hard, closely and deeply furrowed, often apparently cross-furrowed or netted. The winter BUDS are large, round or broadly egg-shaped, and covered with downy, hard scales. The outer, dark scales fall off readily in the autumn. The recent shoots are short, stout and more or less covered with a downy growth. The LEAVES are large, strong-scented, and hairy; composed of 7 to 9 obovate to oblong, pointed leaflets pale to orange-brown on the lower surface. The leaves turn a beautiful yellow in the fall. [Illustration: MOCKERNUT HICKORY (Leaf, one-fifth natural size; twig, two-thirds natural size; fruit, one-third natural size)] The FLOWERS are of two kinds on the same tree; the male in three-branched catkins, the female in clusters of 2 to 5. The FRUIT is oval, nearly round or slightly pear-shaped with a very thick, strong-scented husk which splits nearly to the base when ripe. The nut sometimes has 4 to 6 ridges; is reddish-brown, thick shelled, and has a small, sweet kernel. The WOOD is heavy, hard, tough, and strong. It is white except for the comparatively small, dark-brown heart, hence the name white hickory. It is used for the same purpose as shagbark hickory and makes an excellent fuel. BLACK HICKORY Carya texana Buckl. This is a common hickory in northern and eastern Texas, growing on hillsides and sandy uplands with post and black jack oaks. It is distinguished by its rusty brown hairs found on the young leaves and branches. It forms a tree 60 to 75 feet high, with a trunk 2 feet in diameter. [Illustration: BLACK HICKORY (Leaf, one-fourth natural size; fruit, one-third natural size; twig, three-fourths natural size)] The BARK is dark gray or nearly black, deeply divided into rough ridges, or it may be irregularly fissured and separated into thin scales. The winter buds are ovoid and covered with rusty hairs mixed with silvery scales. The LEAVES, 8 to 12 inches long with 5 to 7, usually 7, leaflets and rusty-hairy slender petioles, are dark green, lustrous above; much paler beneath. The FLOWERS are similar to other hickories. The FRUIT is obovoid, narrow, or abruptly contracted into a short stalk at the base, with a husk ¹/₁₂ to ⅙ inch thick, splitting to the middle or nearly to the base. The sweet-seeded nut is nearly obovoid to oblong, rounded at the ends, compressed and slightly four-angled, with a shell ⅙ to ⅕ inch thick. The hard, brittle WOOD is used chiefly for fuel. CORKWOOD Leitneria floridana Chapm.