FAGACEiE -15EECH FAMILY 



BEECH 



/=•,}• 



us atropH}iuea. Juii^nis fLrru^^uwa. 



Fagus \x(.)u\ pJia:gOf to eat, because the nuts were used as food in 

 the early ages. 



Widely distributed, growing on uplands and mountain slopes, also 



Usually seventy 



on alluvial bottom lands and borders of streams. 

 to eighty feet high. In the crowded forest, tall, 

 slender, with narrow head ; in open situations, 

 short stemmed, forming a round-topped head of 

 slender, slightly drooping l^ranches beset with 

 short lateral branchlets. But one species is 

 native to North America. Grows well on lime- 

 stone. 



Bark. — Compact, smooth, asliy gray. Branch- 

 lets at first pale green, then olive green, finally 

 changing through brown to ashy gray. 



IVood. — Light red, varying in color in differ- 

 ent localities ; hard, strong, tough, very close 

 straight-grained and susceptible of a fine polish. 

 Used in maniifactuie of chairs, agricultural 

 implements and handles of tools. .Sp. gr., 

 0.6883 ; weight of cu. ft., 42.89 lbs. 



Leaf-Buds. — Cylindrical, long-pointed, light 

 chestnut brown, three-fourths to one inch long. 



Leaves. — Alternate, oblong-ovate, rounded or 

 cordate at base, coarsely serrate with spreading Unfolding Leaves of the 

 or incurved teeth, acute or acuminate. Feather- Betch. 



veined. They come out of the bud plicate, pale 



green and silky, when full grown become dark green above, pale 

 green beneath. In autumn they turn a clear golden yellow, and 



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