IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 177 



and Miller, Proc. Davenport Acad, of Nat. Sciences, Vol. 8, 

 p. 256; MacMillan, Met. Minn. Valley, p. 1S6. 



THE FAGACEAE OF IOWA. 



BY T. J. AND M. F. L. FITZPATRICK. 



FAG ACE AE Driide, Phan., 409, 1879. 



OAK OR BEECH FAMILY. 



The oak family comprises five genera and 375 species. 

 The family is of v^ide geographical distribution, and from 

 an economic point of view, of very great value. Four 

 genera occur in the United States, namely, Fagus (the 

 Beech), Castanea (the Chestnut), Quercus (the Oak), and 

 Castanopsis. The number of species and varieties recog- 

 nized is 87. Of this number 82 belong to the genus Quer- 

 cus, one each to Fagus and Castanopsis, and three to 

 Castanea. The only genus indigenous to Iowa is Quercus, 

 the oak, and the number of species recognized is 15. The 

 chestnut, Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh. has been 

 planted in some communities and seems to thrive. A fine 

 grove of this species may be seen in the southern part of 

 Johnson county and solitary or few trees that are 

 hardy, ornamental, and useful are infrequently observed 

 near dwellings. As the species ranges from Maine to 

 Michigan, south to Tennessee, Iowa may be said to occupy 

 a geographical position suited to chestnut raising. The 

 wood of the species is coarse-grained and very durable. 

 The beech, Fagus americana Sweet, ranges from Nova 

 Scotia to Florida, westward to Wisconsin and Texas, but 

 occurs nowhere in Iowa, yet the species might very nat- 

 urally be expected. The beech belongs to a rather numer- 

 ous class of species that may be found to the north, east, 

 or south of Iowa, yet refuses to enter within our limits, or 

 if at all, only in very restricted localities in the north- 

 eastern or eastern portions of the state. 



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