538 MONOECIA POLYANDRIA 



430. FAGUS. /,. JSTutt. Gen, 753. 

 [I^tln,— originally from the Greek, Phago, to eat ; the fruit being ertulent.l 



Staminate Fl. numerous, in globose pedunculate pendulous Amcnts. 

 Perianth campanulate, 6 -cleft. Pistillate Fl. 2, in an ovoid mu- 

 ricate involucre. Perianth urceolate, with 4 or 5 minute segments. 

 Ovary incorporated with the perianth; stigmas 3. Nut* usually 2 

 included in the enlarged coriaceous muricate 4-cleft involucre. 



Trees, with a smooth cinereous bark : leaves alternate, stipular, dentate ; flowers 

 in globose amenta; nuts oily. Nat. Ord< 82. Limit- CupulifbrjB. 



1. F. stlvatica, L. Leaves elliptic-ovate, acuminate, slightly den- 

 tate, ciliate on the margin; nuts ovoid-triquetrous, obtuse, mucronate. 

 Beck y Bot. p. 333. var. amerieana. *A *utt. Bart. Ell. and Eat. 

 F. sylvatica atropunicca. JWarsh. Arbust. p. 46. 

 F. sylvestris. Mx. Am. 2. p. 194, Mx. f. Sylva, 3. p. 18. (Icow, 

 tab. 107.). 



F. ferruginca. Muhl. Catal. p. 86. Not of Willd. Nutt. Bigel. ic 

 Wood Fagus. Vulgo — Beech tree. White Beech. 



Stem 30 to 50 or 60 feet high, and I to near 2 feet in diameter, coated with a 

 Smooth whitish or cinereous bark, and sending out numerous slender horizontal 

 or depending branches, which subdivide and terminate in ovoid-lanceolate acute 

 buds, 3 fourths of an inch in length. Leaves 2 or 3 lo 5 inches long, and 1 to 3 

 inches wide, varying from ovale to elliptic, and lance-ovate, with a short acumin- 

 ation, generally obtuse at base (acute, Authors), iu\(\ often slightly cordate, rarely 

 acute, more or less dentate, sometimes obsoletely so, at others rather strongly, 

 Conspicuously ribbed, when young silky-pilose on both sides, ciliate with soft 

 whitish hairs, deep green and finally smoothish on the upper surface, paler 

 beneath, and always more or less pubescent; petioles 1 eighth to near half an 

 Inch long, hairy ; stiputts long, linear, membranaceous, tawny, caducous. Stew* 

 iiuitc aments very numerous, loosely subglobose, about half an inch in di . meter, 

 silky-pubescent, pale greenish yellow, pendulous on slender silky-pilose pet un- 

 cle* an inch to an inch and half long. Involucres o( ihe pistillate Jlotrers fewer, 

 roundish-ovoid, or oval, enlarging, finally about 2 thi-ds of an inch in diameter, 

 coriaceous, muricate, with flexible subulate squarrose or recurved points, pubes- 

 cent and reddish-ferruginous, on rigid subclavate hairy axillary peduncles about 

 half an inch long. Nuts 1 or 2 in each involucre, ovoid-triquetrous, obtuse, but 

 mucronate with a short point, pubescent, pale reddish-brown. 



flab. Moist woodlands : frequent. Fl. May. Fr. Sept— Octo. 



Obs. The wood of this handsome tree is very close-grained, and is much used 

 for making plane-stocks, shoemakers' lasts, &.c. The leaves, especially of young 

 trees, are remarkably persistent, after they are killed by the frost,— often remain, 

 ing on the branches until late in the spring. The oily nuts afford a nutritious 

 food for hogs. There is another species enumerated as occurring in the North* 

 ern States,— which, judging from the description, seems to be \ery nearly allied to 

 Ikis. 



431. CORYLUS. L. Mitt. Gen. 752. 

 [Greek, Korys, a helmet, or cap ; in allusion to the involucrate fruit.] 



8taminate Fl. imbricated in cylindric Aments ; scales 3-cleft, the 

 middle segment covering the 2 lateral ones. Perianth 0. Stamens 

 about 8 ; anthers 1-celled. Pistillate Fl, numerous, in a capitate 



