• FAGACEAE. 15 



long and quite as wide, glabrous: wings of the fruit rhombic-obovate or 

 cuneate, not ciliate. 



The Black-birch grows on ridges in western Florida. The reddish-brown 

 heart-wood is close-grained, heavy, hard, and very strong. Also known as Cherry- 

 birch. (Oont.) 



2. ALNUS [Tourn.] L. Shrubs or trees, the bark astringent. Stami- 

 nate flowers with 3-6 stamens, the anther-sacs connected. Bracts of the pis- 

 tillate aments not lobed, woody and spreading at maturity. — Alder. 



1. A. rugosa (Du Eoi) Spreng. Tree becoming 13 m. tall or shrub: leaf- 

 blades thickish, obovate or oval, 4-10 cm. long: mature pistillate aments 1.5-2 

 cm. long, the bracts 3-lobed: nuts 1.5 mm. long, sharp-marginpd. — Winter 

 & spr. 



The Smooth-aldee grows on stream-banks in northern Florida. The brown 

 heart-wood is close-grained, but soft and light. (Cont.) 



Family 3. FAGACEAE. Oak Family. 



Shrubs or trees, the wood coarse-grained. Leaves sometimes per- 

 sistent: blades simple, entire, toothed, or lobed. Staminate aments elon- 

 gate or globular, the calyx of 4-7 partially united sepals. Pistillate 

 flowers solitary or several together, each subtended by a bristly involucre, 

 the sepals thick. Fruit a bur-like, cup-like, or saucer-like involucre 

 enclosing or subtending 1 or more nuts. 



Staminate aments globose, drooping on slender bracted peduncles : nuts 3-angled or 



3-winged. 1. Fagus. 



Staminate aments elongate, slender. 



Staminate aments erect or ascending : nuts 1-3, included in a 



very spiny involucre. L'. Castanea. 



Staminate aments drooping : nut seated in an involucre of imbri- 

 cated scales. 3. Quercus. 



1. FAGUS [Tourn.] L. Shrubs or trees, with close-grained wood. Leaf- 

 blades toothed. Staminate aments globular, pendulous: calyx 4-7-lobed: 

 stamens 8-16, Pistillate flowers 2-4 together: calyx 4-5-lobed. Staminodia 

 none. Ovary 3-celled: stigmas 3, filiform. Mature involucre with fleshy 

 spines, enclosing the nuts. Nuts 2-4, 3-angled or 3-winged. 



1. F. grandifolia Ehrh. Tree becoming 40 m. tall, the bark smooth, pale: 

 leaf -blades ovate, oval, or oblong-ovate, 5-14 cm. long: staminate aments 

 1-1.5 cm. in diameter, long-peduncled: ripe involucre ovoid, 1.5-2 cm. long, 

 short-peduncled : nut ovoid, narrowly winged, edible. [F. americana Sweet.] 

 — Spr. 



The Beech grows in alluvial soil in middle and western Florida. The red 

 heart-wood is very close-grained, hard, tough, and strong, but not durable on 

 exposure. (Cont.) 



2. CASTANEA [Tourn.] Hill. Shrubs or trees, with porous wood. 

 Leaf-blades toothed, the teeth slender-tipped. Staminate aments elongate, 

 spreading: calyx 6-lobed: stamens 10-20, the filaments greatly elongate. 

 Pistillate flowers several: calyx 6-lobed. Staminodia present. Ovary imper- 

 fectly 6-eelled. Stigmas 6. slender. Mature involucre with rigid often 

 branching spines, including the nuts. Nuts 2 or 3, or sometimes solitary. — 

 Chestnut. 



1. C. pumila (L.) Mill. Tree becoming 16 m. tall or shrub, the bark smooth: 

 leaf-blades oblong to obovate, 7-14 mm. long, acute or rounded at the apex, 

 white-tomentose beneath, the lateral ribs in 14-20 pairs: neck of the hypan- 



