THE BEECH FAMILY 



FAGACE.^ Drude 



HIS family consists of 6 genera including nearly 400 species of trees 

 or shrubs of wide distribution in nearly all regions of the globe. It 

 is of great economic importance as containing, with the exception, 

 perhaps, of the Pine family, the most valuable timber trees. Formerly 

 they were more important than now as a source of food; the European chestnut, 

 however, still holds a prominent place as such in some portions of southern 

 Europe. As a source of tanning material this family is of considerable importance. 



The FagacecB have alternate, pinnately veined, mostly deciduous leaves, with 

 or without stipules. The flowers are small, monoecious, the staminate usually 

 in elongated catkins or in round heads, their perianth 4-lobed or more; stamens 

 4 to 8, their filaments free, slender, and distinct; anthers adnate, 2-celled, introrse 

 and opening lengthwise. The pistillate flowers are variously disposed, soHtary, 

 or several together, sometimes borne at the base of the staminate catkins; they 

 are subtended by an involucre of more or less united, imbricated bracts, which 

 become thickened and partly or entirely enclose the fruit; the perianth is urn- 

 shaped or oblong, 4- to 8-lobed; the ovary, which is joined to the perianth, is 3- to 

 7-celled, with I or 2 ovules in each cell, only one of which matures; the styles are 

 of the same number as there are cells of the ovary, hnear, stigmatic on the top 

 or sides. The fruit is a i -seeded nut with a leathery or bony covering included 

 in or seated on the enlarged scaly or spiny involucre; the seed fills the cavity of 

 the nut, its coat thin and papery, and it has no endosperm; the cotyledons are 

 large and fleshy. 



Of the 6 genera, 5 are represented in our arborescent flora; the other one, 

 Nothofagus, is confined to the southern hemisphere. 



Staminate catkins globose; nut triangular. 

 Staminate catkins slender, elongated. 

 Nut enclosed in a prickly bur. 



Fruit maturing the first season; ovary 6-celled; leaves deciduous. 

 Fruit not maturing until the second season; ovary 3-celled; leaves persistent. 

 Nut seated in an open scaly cup. 



Staminate catkins erect; pistillate flowers in clusters of 2 to 5. 

 Staminate catkins drooping; pistillate flowers solitary. 



Fagus. 



2. Castanea. ' 



3. Caslanopsis. 



4. Pasania. 



5. Qucrcus. > 



268 



