FAGACEAE 
_ Beech. White Beech 
Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. [Fagus atropunicea (Marsh.) Sudw.] 
[Fagus ferruginea Ait. ] [Fagus americana Sweet] | 
HABIT.—A beautiful tree, rising commonly to a height of 
50-75 feet, with a trunk diameter of 2-4 feet; in the forest, tall 
and slender, with short branches forming a narrow crown, in the 
open with a short, thick trunk and numerous slender, spreading 
branches, forming a broad, compact, rounded crown. 
LEAVES.—Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, one-half as 
broad; oblong-ovate, acuminate; coarsely serrate, a vein termin- 
ating in each tooth; thin; dark blue-green above, light yellow- 
green and very lustrous beneath; petioles short, hairy. 
FLOWERS.—April-May, with the leaves; monoecious; the 
staminate in globose heads 1 inch in diameter, on long, slender, 
hairy peduncles, yellow-green; calyx campanulate, 4-7-lobed, 
hairy; corolla 0; stamens 8-10; the pistillate on short, hairy 
peduncles in 2-flowered clusters surrounded by numerous awl- 
shaped, hairy bracts; calyx urn-shaped, 4-5-lobed; corolla 0; 
ovary 3-celled; styles 3. 
FRUIT.—Ripens in autumn; a prickly bur borne on stout, 
hairy peduncles, persistent on the branch after the nuts have 
fallen; nuts usually 3, 34 inch,long, sharply tetrahedral, brownish; 
sweet and edible. 
WINTER-BUDS.—Nearly 1 inch long, very slender, cylin- 
drical, gradually taper-pointed, brownish, puberulous. 
‘BARK.—Twigs lustrous, olive-green, finally changing 
through brown to ashy gray; close, smooth, steel-gray on the 
trunk, often mottled by darker blotches and bands. 
WOOD.—Hard, tough, strong, very close-grained, not dur- 
able, difficult to season, light or dark red, with thin, whitish 
sapwood. 
DISTRIBUTION.—Common in the Lower Peninsula, es- 
pecially in the northern portions; rare in the Upper Peninsula. 
HABITAT.—Prefers deep, rich, well-drained loam, but is 
found and does well on a great variety of soils. 
NOTES.—Hardy throughout its range. Desirable for land- 
scape work because of its clean trunk and limbs, deep shade, and 
freedom from insect pests. Often suckers from the roots. 
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