BEECH FAMILY 69 



I. FAGUS L. 



Trees with smooth, close, ash-gray bark, and slender, often 

 horizontal, branches. Staminate flowers in long, slender-pedun- 

 cled, ronndish clusters ; calyx bell-shaped, 4-6-cleft ; stamens 

 8-12 ; anthers 2-celled. Pistillate flowers solitary or more often 

 in pairs, ])eduncled, surrounded by a 4-lobed involucre and 

 numerous linear bracts ; ovaries 3-celled, with 2 ovules in each 

 cell, but usually only 1 ovule maturing in each ovary ; styles 3, 

 thread-shaped. Fruit a thin-shelled, 3-angled nut.* 



1. F. grandifolia Ehrh. Beech. Large trees. Leaves oblong-ovate, 

 taper-pointed at the apex, serrate, straight-veined, very white-silky 

 when young, nearly smooth with age. Involucre densely covered with 

 short recurved spines. Nuts thin-shelled, edible. Common on damp 

 soil everywhere. The wood is very hard, tough, and close-grained, 

 and is especially valuable for the manufacture of small tools.* 



2. F. sylvatica L. The European beech is occasionally found 

 planted as a shade tree. The variety known as the copper beech 

 is most usual, and is readily recognized by its dark, crimson-purple 

 leaves. 



II. CASTANEA Hill 



Trees or shrubs with rough, gray, rather close bark. Leaves 

 straight-veined, undivided, prominently toothed. Flowers ap- 

 pearing later than the leaves. Staminate catkins erect or 

 spreading, loosely flowered, flowers several in the axil of each 

 bract ; calyx 4-6-parted ; stamens 8-16. Pistillate flowers at 

 the base of the staminate catkin or in small separate clus- 

 ters, usually 3 in each involucre ; ovary 4-celled, surrounded 

 by 5-12 abortive stamens. Fruit a 1-celled nut inclosed in 

 the greatly enlarged and very prickly involucre.* 



1. C. dentata Borkh. American Chestnut. A large tree, bark 

 somewhat rough, and splitting into longitudinal plates. Leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate, taper-pointed at the apex, usually acute at the 

 base, coarsely and sharply serrate with ascending teeth, smooth, dark 

 green above, lighter below; petioles stout, short. Staminate catkins 

 erect, 6-10 in. long. Xuts usually 3 in each bur. Rich soil, especially 

 N. Karely found on soils containing nuich lime.* 



2. C. pumila INIill. Chinquapin. A small tree or shrub. Leaves 

 oblong, acute or obtuse at both ends, serrate witli divergent teeth, 

 dark green and smooth above, white-woolly below. Nuts solitary, 

 nearly globular. Common southward in rich woods.* 



