﻿BEECH 
  FAMILY 
  59 
  

  

  I. 
  FAGUS 
  L. 
  

  

  Trees 
  with 
  smooth, 
  close, 
  ash-gray 
  bark, 
  and 
  slender, 
  often 
  

   horizontal, 
  branches. 
  Staminate 
  flowers 
  in 
  long, 
  slender-pedun- 
  

   cled, 
  roundish 
  clusters 
  ; 
  calyx 
  bell-shaped, 
  4-6-cleft 
  ; 
  stamens 
  

   8-12 
  ; 
  anthers 
  2-celled. 
  Pistillate 
  flowers 
  solitary 
  or 
  more 
  often 
  

   in 
  pairs, 
  peduncled, 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  4-lobed 
  involucre 
  and 
  

   numerous 
  linear 
  bracts 
  ; 
  ovaries 
  3-celled, 
  with 
  2 
  ovules 
  in 
  each 
  

   cell, 
  but 
  usually 
  only 
  1 
  ovule 
  maturing 
  in 
  each 
  ovary 
  ; 
  styles 
  3, 
  

   thread-shaped. 
  Fruit 
  a 
  thin-shelled, 
  3-angled 
  nut.* 
  

  

  1. 
  F. 
  grandifolia 
  Ehrh. 
  BEECH. 
  Large 
  trees. 
  Leaves 
  oblong-ovate, 
  

   taper-pointed 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  serrate, 
  straight-veined, 
  very 
  white-silky 
  

   when 
  young, 
  nearly 
  smooth 
  with 
  age. 
  Involucre 
  densely 
  covered 
  with 
  

   short 
  recurved 
  spines. 
  Nuts 
  thin-shelled, 
  edible. 
  Common 
  on 
  damp 
  

   soil 
  everywhere. 
  The 
  wood 
  is 
  very 
  hard, 
  tough, 
  and 
  close-grained, 
  

   and 
  is 
  especially 
  valuable 
  for 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  small 
  tools.* 
  

  

  2. 
  F. 
  sylvatica 
  L. 
  The 
  European 
  beech 
  is 
  occasionally 
  found 
  

   planted 
  as 
  a 
  shade 
  tree. 
  The 
  variety 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  copper 
  beech 
  

   is 
  most 
  usual, 
  and 
  is 
  readily 
  recognized 
  by 
  its 
  dark, 
  crimson-purple 
  

   leaves. 
  

  

  H. 
  CASTANEA 
  Hill 
  

  

  Trees 
  or 
  shrubs 
  with 
  rough, 
  gray, 
  rather 
  close 
  bark. 
  Leaves 
  

   straight-veined, 
  undivided, 
  prominently 
  toothed. 
  Flowers 
  ap- 
  

   pearing 
  later 
  than 
  the 
  leaves. 
  Stamiuate 
  catkins 
  erect 
  or 
  

   spreading, 
  loosely 
  flowered, 
  flowers 
  several 
  in 
  the 
  axil 
  of 
  each 
  

   bract 
  ; 
  calyx 
  4-6-parted 
  ; 
  stamens 
  8-16. 
  Pistillate 
  flowers 
  at 
  

   the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  staminate 
  catkin 
  or 
  in 
  small 
  separate 
  clus- 
  

   ters, 
  usually 
  3 
  in 
  each 
  involucre 
  ; 
  ovary 
  4-celled, 
  surrounded 
  

   by 
  5-12 
  abortive 
  stamens. 
  Fruit 
  a 
  1-celled 
  nut 
  inclosed 
  in 
  

   the 
  greatly 
  enlarged 
  and 
  very 
  prickly 
  involucre.* 
  

  

  1. 
  C. 
  dentata 
  Borkh. 
  AMERICAN 
  CHESTNUT. 
  A 
  large 
  tree, 
  bark 
  

   somewhat 
  rough, 
  and 
  splitting 
  into 
  longitudinal 
  plates. 
  Leaves 
  

   oblong-lanceolate, 
  taper-pointed 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  usually 
  acute 
  at 
  the 
  

   base, 
  coarsely 
  and 
  sharply 
  serrate 
  with 
  ascending 
  teeth, 
  smooth, 
  dark 
  

   green 
  above, 
  lighter 
  below 
  ; 
  petioles 
  stout, 
  short. 
  Staminate 
  catkins 
  

   erect, 
  6-10 
  in. 
  long. 
  Nuts 
  usually 
  3 
  in 
  each 
  bur. 
  Rich 
  soil, 
  especially 
  

   N. 
  Rarely 
  found 
  on 
  soils 
  containing 
  much 
  lime.* 
  

  

  2. 
  C. 
  pumila 
  Mill. 
  CHINQUAPIN. 
  A 
  small 
  tree 
  or 
  shrub. 
  Leaves 
  

   oblong, 
  acute 
  or 
  obtuse 
  at 
  both 
  ends, 
  serrate 
  with 
  divergent 
  teeth, 
  

   dark 
  green 
  and 
  smooth 
  above, 
  white-woolly 
  below. 
  Nuts 
  solitary, 
  

   nearly 
  globular. 
  Common 
  southward 
  in 
  rich 
  woods.* 
  

  

  