Naturalisation in Extra- Tropical Countries. 197 



Faeropyrum Tataricum, Gaertner. (Fagotriticum Sibiricum, Linne.) 



Middle and Northern Asia, up to 14,000 feet [Dr. G. Watt]. 

 Yields for the higher mountain-regions a still safer crop than the 

 foregoing ; otherwise the remarks offered in reference to F. escu- 

 lentum apply also to F. Tataricum; but the seeds of the latter are 

 more thick-shelled, less amylaceous and less palatable ; all sorts 

 very fattening to fowl. All may be sown for temporary shelter 

 of young tree -seedlings [" Mildura Cultivator "]. 



Fagrus antarctica, GK Forster. 



From S. Chili to Fuegia. This deciduous Beech is the hardiest 

 of all, still being arborescent at Cape Horn [Sir J. Hooker]. Wood 

 rather heavy, bat somewhat brittle [Admiral King] ; with F. 

 betuloides the most southern of arbor eus plants. 



Fag-us betuloides, Mirbel. 



Patagonia and Fuegia down to Cape Horn. An evergreen Beech, 

 on the branches of which a peculiar edible fungus, Cyttaria Dar- 

 winii (Berkeley) occurs. It seems quite feasible, that the Cyttaria- 

 fungs could be transferred from some beeches to others of different 

 countries. Cyttaria Hookeri lives on Fagus antarctica (Forster). 

 C. Darwinii forms for some months of the year a large share of the 

 vegetable food of the Fuegians [Hieronymus]. 



Fag-us Cunning-hami, Hooker. 



The Victorian and Tasmanian Beech. The Myrtle-wood of local 

 trade. A magnificent evergreen-tree, attaining large dimensions, 

 not rarely to 200 feet in height, with a basal stem-girth of 40 feet, 

 but living only in cool, damp, rich forest- valleys, and bearing 

 through several months annually any periodic snow. Mr. C. French 

 observed a tree on the Upper Latrobe-River 56 feet in stem-circum- 

 fereiice. The wood resembles that of the European Beach, thus is 

 easily worked, much used by carpenters and other artisans, and 

 particularly liked for saddle-trees. Average weight of a cubic foot, 

 when quite dry 55 Ibs. or 0'830 specific gravity. It remains to be 

 ascertained by actual tests in the forests, whether the allied tall 

 evergreen New Zealand Beeches possess any advantage over this 

 species for forest-culture ; they are Fagus Menziesii, the Red Birch 

 of the colonists ; F. fusca and F. cliff ortioides (J. Hooker), the Black 

 Birches and F. Solandri (Hooker) the White Birch ; they ascend 

 to 4,000 feet in the Northern Islands. A magnificent and peculiar 

 beech, Fagus Moorei (F. v. Mueller), occurs in New South Wales 

 on high mountains ; its timber is hard, tough and fine-grained 

 [J. Duff]. Cyttaria Grunnii (Berkeley) is the Raspberry -fung'us of 

 the Tasmanian and Victorian evergreen Beech ; a Cyttaria occurs also 

 on the New Zealand Beeches, as ascertained by the author of this 

 work ; it has since been described as C. Purdiei by Mr, J. Buchanan. 

 These fungs are edible in a raw state, and are most palatable (so 

 far as C. Gunnii is concerned) before approaching' full ripeness 

 [Rob. Lucas]. 



