American hophornbeam | |
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A hophornbeam branch with the characteristic hop-resembling fruits [1] in early summer | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fagales |
Family: | Betulaceae |
Genus: | Ostrya |
Species: | O. virginiana
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Binomial name | |
Ostrya virginiana | |
Generalized native range | |
Synonyms [3] | |
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Ostrya virginiana, the American hophornbeam, is a species of Ostrya native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Manitoba and eastern Wyoming, southeast to northern Florida and southwest to eastern Texas. [4] Populations from Mexico and Central America are also regarded as the same species, although some authors prefer to separate them as a distinct species, Ostrya guatemalensis. [3] Other names include eastern hophornbeam, hardhack (in New England), ironwood, and leverwood. [5] [6]
Ostrya virginiana (American hophornbeam) is a small deciduous understory tree growing to 18 m (59 ft) tall and 20–50 centimetres (8–20 in) trunk diameter. The bark is brown to gray-brown, with narrow shaggy plates flaking off, while younger twigs and branches are smoother and gray, with small lenticels. [5] [7] Very young twigs are sparsely fuzzy to thickly hairy; the hairs ( trichomes) drop off by the next year. [8]
The leaves are ovoid- acute, 5–13 cm (2–5 in) long and 4–6 cm (1+1⁄2–2+1⁄4 in) broad, pinnately veined, with a doubly serrated margin. The upper surface is mostly hairless, while the lower surface is sparsely to moderately fuzzy (rarely densely hairy). [5] [7]
The flowers are catkins ( spikes) produced in early spring at the same time as the new leaves appear. The staminate ( male) catkins are 2–5 cm (3⁄4–2 in) long, [5] and arranged in groups of 1–4. [7] The pistillate (female) catkins are 8–15 mm (5⁄16–19⁄32 in) long, containing 10–30 flowers each. [5]
Pollinated female flowers develop into small nutlets 3–5 mm (1⁄8–3⁄16 in) long fully enclosed in a papery sac-shaped involucre 10–18 mm (3⁄8–11⁄16 in) long and 8–10 mm (5⁄16–3⁄8 in) wide. [5] The involucre changes from greenish-white to dull brown as the fruit matures. [7]
American hophornbeam is similar to its close relative American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), which can be distinguished by its smooth bark and nutlets enclosed in open, three-lobed bracts. [7]
There are two subspecies:
Populations along the Atlantic coast have slightly smaller leaves, and are sometimes separated as O. virginiana var. lasia Fernald. [5]
In temperate areas of the US and Canada, Ostrya virginiana is found in lowland and foothill forests, where it is predominantly an understory tree. [2]
In Mexico and Central America, Ostrya virginiana is found in cloud forests and humid portions of mid-elevation oak, pine–oak, and pine forests between 1200 and 2800 meters elevation. [10]
The buds and catkins are important source of winter food for some birds, notably ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus). [7] Additionally, the nutlets and buds are eaten by birds, deer, and rabbits. [1]
It is not typically grown as an ornamental plant and is sometimes used as a street tree. [11]
Its wood is very resilient and is valued for making tool handles and fence posts. [12]
Being a diffuse porous hardwood and having extremely high density and resistance to compression, it is an excellent material for the construction of wooden longbows.[ citation needed]