BEECH FAMILY 59 
I. FAGUS L. 
Trees with smooth, close, ash-gray bark, and slender, often 
horizontal, branches. Staminate flowers in long, slender-pedun- 
cled, roundish clusters; calyx bell-shaped, 4—6-cleft; stamens 
8-12; anthers 2-celled. Pistillate flowers solitary or more often 
in pairs, peduncled, 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. Bercn. 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. 
Il. 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 CurstNnuT. 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. Nuts usually 8 in each bur. Rich soil, especially 
N. Rarely found on soils containing much lime.* 
2. C. pumila Mill. Curnquarin. A small tree or shrub. Leaves 
oblong, acute or obtuse at both ends, serrate with divergent teeth, 
dark green and smooth above, white-woolly below. Nuts solitary, 
nearly globular. Common southward in rich woods.* 
