123 



THE BEECH FAMILY FAGACEAE. 



The Beech family contains some of the most important timber spe- 

 cies and has its representatives distributed in nearly all regions of 

 the world. The Pine family alone surpasses this one in economic im- 

 portance. It yields not only high grade wood but also food in the 

 form of nuts, tanning and dyeing materials, and cork. The wood is 

 of a high grade and used extensively. 



The members of the Beech family have alternate, simple, pinnately- 

 veined, mostly deciduous leaves. A division of the family known as 

 the Live Oaks retains its leaves during the winter. The flowers, 

 staminate and pistillate, which are rather inconspicuous, are usually 

 yellowish to greenish in color and found on different parts of the 

 same tree and usually on different parts of the same branch. The 

 inconspdcuous flowers of this family stand in strong contrast with 

 the conspicuous flowers of such species as the Magnolias, Cherries, 

 Apples, Papaw, and other broad-leaved trees. The fruit consists of 

 one or more one-seeded nuts covered by an outer cartilaginous and 

 an inner membranous covering. It is usually heavy and in some 

 species matures in one season while in others it requires two seasons. 

 On account of the heavy weight of the seeds they usually fall im- 

 mediately below the tree and remain there unless disseminated by 

 animals, birds, water, or gravity on slopes. The seed fills the entire 

 cavity of the nut. 



This family consists of 6 genera and about 400 species of trees and 

 shrubs of which number 5 genera with about 60 species occur in North 

 America and 3 genera with 19 species in Pennsylvania. The 3 genera 

 not found in Pennsylvania are Castanopsis, Pasania, and Nothofagus. 

 Representatives of the first 2 genera are found in the western part 

 of the United States, while the genus Nothofagus is confined to the 

 southern hemisphere. The subjoined key will distinguish the 3 

 genera found in Pennsylvania. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



Page. 



1. Staminate aments in globose heads; nuts triangular; buds long, slender, eharp- 



pointed, conical, 5 times as long as -wide, Fagus 124 



1. Staminate amenta elongated, slender; nuts not triangular; buds shorter, stout, 



dull-pointed, not 5 times as long as wide 2 



2. Staminate aments erect or ascending; nuts enclosed in a prickly bur; buds covered 



with a few ovei lapping scales, terminal ones absent, Castanea 124 



2. Staminate aments drooping; nuts seated in an open scaly cup; buds covered with many 



overlapping scales and clustered at the terminal end of twig, Querous 128 



