or NORTH AMEKKA. 81 



some botanists. Bark redish, branchlets terete 

 sulcata dark purple, leaves subpetiolate ovato- 

 blong remotely serrate acuminate, base acute 

 or obtuse often obliqual, margin ciliate, young 

 nerves pilose, surface rusty, pale beneath, a- 

 ments on thick peduncles, nuts ovate acute with 

 sharp angles — our Red Beech is found from 

 New England to Missouri, the wood has a red- 

 ish tinge like the bark, leaves 2 or 3 inches 

 long, monoical, female flowers with many linear 

 smooth bracts. A large tree 50 to 100 feet 

 high. 



691. Fagus nigra Raf. Bark fuscate, branch- 

 lets blackish terete sulcate, leaves subsessile 

 ample ovate rhomboidal, acumin. base acute, 

 margin denticulate, surface dark green glossy 

 on both sides, nuts acute angles sharp — This 

 tree called Black or Brown Beech is sparingly 

 found with the others, 40 to 70 feet high, 

 branches so dark purple as to be almost black, 

 leaves very large 4 to 5 inches long. 



692. Fagus rotundifolia Raf. fl. tex. 10 

 atL J. 177. Bark fuscate, branchlets terete 

 fuscate, leaves petiolate rounded repand acute, 

 petiols margins and nerves above and beneath 

 silky pilose, aments commonly geminate on 

 short and thick peduncles silky like the bracts 

 — A very distinct Sp. first described by me in 

 1833, it appears to have an extensive range, it 

 first appears in Arkanzas and Texas, extend- 

 ing to Origon and Sibiria, perhaps even to Eu- 

 rope, where several blended Sp. exist which I 

 shall shortly notice for contrast with ours. This 

 Beech tree is smaller than the others 20 to 30 

 feet high, leaves 1 or 2 inches long and broad. 

 It may be called the Silky Beech. 



693. Fagus sylvatica L. &c. Branches 



