Cnpulifer& Querciis. 



half-immersed in the closely imbricated cup. Native of the 

 South of Europe. 



Q. Siiber, the Cork Oak, is very near the last in general 

 aspect, and is equally variable in foliage, but the leaves have 

 longer petioles, and the bark, instead of being smooth, is deeply 

 furrowed and corky. Q. occidental/is is often confused with the 

 true Cork Oak, but the latter ripens its acorns in one season, 

 whereas the former requires two to bring them to maturity. 



2. FAGUS. 

 Deciduous or evergreen trees with entire or toothed leaves. 



Male flowers in small bracteate heads or slender drooping 



peduncles ; perianth 5- 

 to 7-lobed ; stamens 8 

 to 16. Female flowers 1 

 to 3 together in an in- 

 volucre of 4 bracts, which 

 eventually hardens and 

 encloses the triangular 

 or winged usually one- 

 seeded nuts. There are 

 about fifteen species in 

 the temperate regions of 

 the north and south. 

 The name is from <a<yo>, 

 to eat, in allusion to the 

 edible seeds. 



1. F.sylvdtica. Corn- 

 men Beech (fig. 213). 

 If we give the Oak the 

 palm for grandeur, we 

 must award the Beech 

 the palm for beauty. It 

 ordinarily attains a height 

 of 60 to 80 feet, and in 

 rare instances it exceeds 

 100 feet. It would be 

 superfluous to describe 

 the typical form, but 



there are some varieties that we must not omit to mention. 



The most striking of these is F. s. purpiirea, the Purple Beech, 



having deep purple foliage, forming a fine contrast with the 



Fig. 213. Fagos sylvatica (Common Beech;. 



