410 Cupulifer@—Quercus. 
half-immersed in the closely imbricated cup. Native of the 
South of Europe. 
Q. Suber, 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. (). occidentalis 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 
ce peduncles; perianth 5- 
Y to 7-lobed; stamens 8 
to 16. Female flowers 1 
to 3 together in an in- 
voluere of 4 bracts, which 
eventually hardens and 
encloses the triangular 
or winged usually one- 
sveded nuts. There are 
about fifteen species in 
the temperate regions of 
the north and south. 
The name is from ¢ayo, 
to cat, in allusion to the 
edible seeds, 
1. Fi syledticu. Com- 
men Beech (fig. 213).— 
If we vive the Oak the 
palm for grandeur, we 
must award the Beech 
the palm for beauty. It 
ordinarilyattainsa height 
of 60 to 80 feet, and in 
rare instances it, exceeds 
100 fect. It would be 
Fig. 213. Fagus sylvatica (Common Beech), superfluous to describe 
the typical form, but 
there are some varieties that we must not omit to mention. 
The most striking of these is Ms. purpitired, the Purple Beech, 
having deep purple foliage, forming u fine contrast with the 
