THE BEECH. 

 FAGUS SYLVATICA. PL 1. 



Fructification. Barren flowers in a kind of 

 catkin, each confining of about 12 

 chives in a cup. Fertile flowers on 

 the fame tree, in a bud, changing into 

 a hairy capfule with four valves and 

 two feeds. 



Specif c charafter. Leaves oval, indiftinclly 

 ferrated. Bark fmooth, white. 



THE beech is one of the moft ftately tim- 

 ber trees, and compofes large woods in 

 fome parts of this country. It particularly 

 delights in a chalky foil, where it will flou- 

 rifh and arrive at a great fize, though the 

 land has all the appearance of barrennefs. 

 When (landing fingly or at large diftances 

 from other trees, it fpreads in a round form 

 to a wide extent, and forms a deep mafs of 



(hade; 



