A bit of a mystery hickory

[Will Blozan]

NTS,

Today James Parton and I explored a tributary of the Oconaluftee River in Great Smoky Mountains NP. We encountered a fairly massive hickory that perplexed me to no end. No new leaf/bud falls were to be found nor were good nuts or husks. I am vacillating between C. glabra (type) and perhaps C. alba. Strong attributes of both abound but based on twig size C. glabra would win over. Yes, C. cordiformis was in the area but the bark on this tree was so much more "ropey", like I have seen on C. glabra at the coast. Also, leaflets of 5-7 were all that were seen. Here are some shots; I'd appreciate any ideas as to the ID of this beast!

               

                       

                       

Trunk with James Parton

               

               

Lower trunk

               

                       

                       

Close up of bark in crown

               

               

Upper crown bark detail

               

                       

                       

Leaves

                       

Leaves close001.jpg (181.4 KiB) Viewed 447 times

               

               

Leaf detail

               

                       

                       

Buds

                       

Buds close001.jpg (153.89 KiB) Viewed 447 times

               

               

Only decent buds I could find

               

                       

                       

Best nuts

               

               

One of the only intact nuts- quite small

               

                       

                       

Another trunk shot

               

               

Another view of the trunk.

Thanks!

Will

[edfrank]

NTS,

I am willing to give Will the benefit of the doubt and accept this is a photo of the elusive James Parton.  Just last week after talking to Becky Parton Kent on Facebook, I got a new email and phone number for James.  He replied with a note that he is indeed alive and well, and has become more heavily involved in his studies and activities with the New Order of Druids.  So unless it was an imposter, it is not too big of a stretch to assume that James Parton is actually alive and that Will managed to catch a photo of the mysterious creature.

Ed

.

[James Parton]

Ed and everybody,

It is truly me, James Parton. I really never intended to stay gone for so long. I combination of long work hours, spending more time with my daughter Sarah and intensified studies in the second and now third level of my druid courses on NOD plus I am now a Bardic Mentor and Moderator there and these have kept me really busy. I really apologize. I gotta say that I missed all of you but I have to admit I missed Bob Leverett's humor the most.

During my time out, Will heard some from me. He asked me on a couple of previous trips and work kept me from going plus I asked him to identify a stupidly obvious tree which of course he did. I thought " Damn, Nyssa Sylvatica " I should have known that!

He got me back. Today he liked to have killed me! I'll be sore tomorrow. I gotta get back in shape. Damn, I am only 2 years older than Will. But the Smokies are Awesome!!

I also wanna thank Ed for asking of my whereabouts. It's nice to know I am missed.

I'm back folks.

James

[TN_Tree_Man]

Will,

I'm leaning towards a big pignut (Carya glabra).  Specially with that tight-web bark feature.

Steve Springer

[James Parton]

I have some pics to add when I get a chance to PhotoShop them.

Hickories can be a bear it identify.

[Larry Tucei]

Will,  I'm with Steve the leaves look like Carya glabra, as does the Bark. James, Welcome back good to see you out measuring trees. Don't stay gone so long.  Larry

[James Parton]

Glad to hear from you again Larry. Going out with Will again has given me the final push to get back to measuring trees again. I hope all has been well with you.

[dbhguru]

James,

  Yeeehaa, you're back!  WELCOME! I knew you were okay, cuz I would stand under a tree, face the south, hold my index finger up and sense the vibs. They communicated that you were on a special mission.

   But, well, let's see, as I notice, the total number of your posts has been stuck at 1526 since last November. During that period, look what has happened to mine. Yep, 1771! Before I post this, by my calculation, the difference is 255 messages. Now 255 = 1^0 + 1^2 + 1^3 + 1^4 + 1^5 + 1^6 + 1^7 in binary and my coffee pot has boiled over 255 times in the last 12 month. It all fits.

   The gods of the forest have decreed that you must catch up and assume your rightful spot as the number two poster in NTS, and they give you just 60 days to do it. Whew! So, that's an average of 4.25 messages per day just to make up the existing difference (+ 1 of course for this message). But wait, you're in luck. Druidian mathematicians offer you several plans to close the gap. You can choose to follow the arc of a parabolic, exponential, or power function. You're call. But no hyperbolic curves. We don't engage in hyperbole here.

   We anxiously await you selection.

   Man, what is in this coffee?

#2 Poster, Bob

[bbeduhn]

I too was confounded over hickories over the weekend.  Do you have any stats on this beast?  It certainly is a whopper!

I like glabra but I've never id'd an alba and often struggle on hickories.

[James Parton]

Bob,

You are one I really missed. I feel bad for being absent so long, but you had to know that I would return. As I have said before, once an Ent always an Ent!

I'll have to give you a run, but you have one advantage my friend. More available free time. I would pay money for that!

James