CUPULIFERAE 271 



abortion?) constantly solitary, small, ovoid, acute, dark brown, pubescent at 



summit. 



Ifab. Thin soils; near the Maryland line. Fl. June. Fr. Octo. 



Obs. This shrub is rare, north of Maryland, in some portions of 

 which State it is very abundant. The seeds are sweet, and pleasant, 

 but are scarcely half the size of our chestnuts ; while both (and 

 especially the chinquapins) are very subject to be preyed upon by 

 worms. 



b. Cotyledons epigaean in germination. 



374. FA V GFS, Tournef. 



[Latin from the Greek, phago, to eat ; the fruit being esculent.] 

 STAM. FL. in globose long-peduncled pendulous clusters, with de- 

 ciduous scale-like bracts. Calyx campanulate, 5- or 6-cleft. Stamens 

 8 to 12. PISTILLATE FL. usually in pairs, within an ovoid pedun- 

 culate involucre, which is formed of numerous coalesced subulate 

 flexible bracts. Calyx urceolate, the border elongated, and cleft 

 into 4 or 5 subulate segments. Ovary 3-celled, with 2 ovule* in 

 each cell [A. Gray. "Ovula in loculis solitaria," Endl."]; styles 3, 

 filiform ; stigmas lateral. Nuts ovoid-triquetrous, usually 2 in the 

 coriaceous flexibly-muricate 4-valved involucre. Cotyledons thick, 

 plicately folded. Trees, with a thin smooth cinereous bark, hori- 

 zontal branches, long terete acuminate buds, and greenish-yellow 



Leaves oblong-ovate, acuminate, more 

 or less dentate, ciliate ; the flexible-armature, or bracts, of the in- 

 volucre spreading, or recurved. 



F. sylvatica. L. $ Fl. Cestr. ed. 2. p. 538. not of Linn. 

 FERRUGINOUS FAOUS. Beech-tree. 



Stem 40 to 60 or 70 feet high. Leaves 3 to 5 inches long, penninerved, plicate 

 along the nerves while young, and silky-pilose, finally smoothish above; petiole* 

 % to % an inch in length ; Stipules long, linear, membranaceous, tawny, caducous. 

 Aments of staminate flowers loosely subglobose, numerous, on slender peduncles 1 

 to 1% inches long. Involucres of pistillate flowers fewer, on rigid axillary peduncles 

 about half an inch in length. 

 Hob. Low moist woodlands : frequent. FL May. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. The wood of this tree, from its density and uniform texture, 

 is much valued for many purposes ; and the oily Mast, or seeds, 

 afford a nutritious food for swine. 



The Beech although a symmetrical and handsome tree has been 

 unaccountably neglected, in this country, as an ornamental shade- 

 tree: and yet it would seem, from VIRGIL'S Pastorals, that in the 

 land of sweet do-nothing ("dolce far niente"), the Italian Peasant, 

 of ancient times, found an enviable enjoyment under its spreading 

 branches 



"patulae recubant sub tegmine FAGI." 



Our Aborigines, however, think they have improved upon the 

 luxurious indulgence of the Italians, judging by the following re- 

 mark of an Indian Chief to Col. BUTLER as reported and rendered 

 by ST. JoHNDECaivECOEUR: "Ah! mon frere, * * * tune con- 



