186 FAGACEAE 
the staminate on drooping catkins or in heads, the pistillate en- 
closed in a little leafy perianth which finally becomes the bur in 
Fagus and Castanea and the cup in Quercus. Fruit, one or more 
nuts, each enclosed in a woody shell. 
Fruit surrounded by a prickly bur. 
Nuts. triangular i) ee pense. y7-eilies. 9a 
Nuts rounded 9253" = Bee eo a nS er rr 
Fruit subtended by a woody cup . .. . . . Quercus 
t, FAGUS, L. 
Trees with smooth light gray bark, widely branching. Leaves alter- 
nate. Staminate flowers on a slender peduncle, only the terminal flower 
being developed. Pistillate flowers, two together, surrounded by an 
involucre which, at maturity is composed of 4 valves, which open to per- 
mit the falling of the fruit. 
F. americana, Sweet. (Fig. 6, pl. 26.) AMERICAN BrecH. (F. 
grandifolia, Ehrh.). A handsome forest tree with rounded aborescence, 
leaves long egg-shaped with conspicuous and regular serrations. The 
bur contains two 3-angled nuts which are pleasant to the taste. Through- 
out our area. April-May. 
2. CASTANEA, Hill 
Tall, profusely branching tree, with long egg-shaped leaves with coarse 
serrations. Staminate flowers in pendulous interrupted catkins. Pistil- 
late flowers 3 to 5 together in a little cup which becomes at maturity 
the prickly bur. 
1. C. dentata, (Marsh.) Borkh. (Fig. 3, pl. 26.) AMERICAN 
CuestnutT. A forest tree, sometimes 100 ft. high. Leaves 5 to 12 in. 
long. Nuts 1 or more in each bur. In most of our region. June-July. 
2. C. pumila, (L.) Mill. Cuinquapin. A tree usually not as large 
as No. 1, and sometimes a shrub. Leaves 3 to 6 in. long, sharply toothed, 
the teeth narrow, almost spiny. The staminate catkin is continuous, 
not interrupted at lower part as is the case with that of C. dentata. 
Bur smaller than that of No. 1. New Jersey, Penna., and south, June. 
3. QUERCUS, L. 
Trees and shrubs with leaves deeply lobed or entire. The flowers ap- 
pear before the leaves, the staminate in drooping catkins with inter- 
rupted groups of stamens, each group containing from 5 to 9 members 
(Fig. 8, pl. 28). Pistillate flowers solitary, each surrounded by an 
oblong involucre or calyx. The inner bracts of the involucre unite to 
form a cup in which is developed the oval-shaped nut or acorn. 
Trees 
Leaves not lobed or conspicuously toothed. 
Hairy gray beneath . ey fa ve ee er) Grd a Se en ee he 
Not hairy gray beneath . 4 Sew ie Geet ont! a, ee NCSC 
Leaves not lobed, but with deep serrations. 
Leaves lance- -shaped, about 4 times as long as broad . . Q. Muhlenbergit 
