FAGACE-—-BEECH FAMILY 
BEECH 
: : : 
Fagus atropunicea. hagus ferruginea. 
Fagus from phage, to eat, because the nuts were used as food in 
the early ages. 
Widely distributed, growing on uplands and mountain slopes, also 
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 branches beset with 
short lateral branchlets. But one species is 
native to North America. Grows well on lime- 
stone. 
Bark.—Compact, smooth, ashy gray. Branch- 
lets at first pale green, then olive green, finally 
changing through brown to ashy gray. 
Wood.—Light red, varying in color in differ- 
ent localities; hard, strong, tough, very close 
straight-grained and susceptible of a fine polish. 
Used in manufacture of chairs, agricultural 
implements and handles of tools. Sp. 
0.6883; weight of cu. ft., 42.89 lbs. 
Leaf-Buds.—Cylindrical, long-pointed, light 
chestnut brown, three-fourths to one inch long. 
gr., 
Leaves.—Alternate, oblong-ovate, rounded or 
Usually seventy 
cordate at base, coarsely serrate with spréading Unfolding Leaves of the 
or incurved teeth, acute or acuminate. Feather- 
veined. They come out of the bud plicate, pale 
Beech. 
green and silky, when full grown become dark green above, pale 
green beneath. In autumn they turn a clear golden yellow, ana 
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