30 THE BEECH. 



Ill spring tlie hud turns upward, and as it increases in length, 

 light patches appear at the base ol" the brown stipules which have 

 protected it during the winter. The tips ot the leaves, fringed with 

 white satin-like hairs, push their way out at the apex of the swollen 

 bud, their edges still being tolded like a halt-closed fan. The bud 

 now turns downwards, and the overlapping leaves straighten themselves. 

 Between them the pale stipules hang like twisted ribbons ; they 

 gradually turn pink and drop off as soon as the leaves have developed. 

 .■\t the base of the bud stiff stipules still remain to protect the tips 

 ot the newer leaves. The scars ot these stipules can be seen torm- 

 ing rings round the old branches. As the new shoot lengthens the 

 leaves spread outwards, and become drooping ; at this stage they are 

 ot a pale yellow green, almost transparent and very soit. The ribs 

 and edges are covered with satin-like hairs, the under side is paler and 

 less glossy. When tully grown the leaves are firmer, nearly flat and 

 very crisp, with waved edges. .In summer their colour is a dark 

 green, which changes in the autumn to red and orange. They are 

 arranged alternately and lie tiat in the same plane as the twig, each 

 one accommodating itself to the space available between its neighbour 

 leaves. 



Each twig usually bears trom three to four leaves, the leaf at 

 the base ot the twig being smaller than the rest. The main and 

 secondary ribs are clearly marked, their arrangement resembling that 

 of the branches, but the network of small veins which covers the 

 leaf is scarcely noticeable. 



One margin of the leaf-blade is usually longer than the other, 

 and joins the stalk at a point lower down. 



The withered leaves of young beeches remain on the tree duiing 

 the winter, and some few also linger on the tull-grown trees. The 



