324 CUPULIFERJE. 



flowers in axillary aments near the end of the branches, and the fer- 

 tile flowers at their base. 



1. C. VESCA, L. Chestnut. 



Leaves oblong-lanceolate, pointed, mucronate-serrate, smooth and green on both 

 Bides; nuts 2 to Z in each involucre, flattened on one or both sides. 



Rocky or hilly woods, common, especially in stony land. Junp, July. A large 

 tree, with light course grained wood, litres G to 9 inches long, an 1 

 with large uniform teeth. Anunis 5 to 8 inches long, very nunuTOue. Ntds al>out 

 3 together, of a peculiar 1 rown. enclosed in the enlarged curulc or burr which u 

 besot en all tides with sharp sjnnes. 



2. C. PUMILA, Michx. Uiinquaj^n. Dwarf Chestnut. 



Leaves oblong, acute, serrate with pointed teeth, white-downy beneath ; nut soli- 

 tary. 



Sanity weo-ls, and st rile places. June. A shrub or small tree C to 20 feet high, 

 much branched. Leaves 3 to 5 inches long, 1% to 2 inches wide, smooth ah ( 

 petioles } 2 U1C ^ long. Stamenate flowers in arm nts 6to 10 inches long. JYu.' c 

 jointed. fas large as a common chestnut, Ttry sweet. 



3. FAGUS, Tourn. Beech 



G?.p\ago. to eat., in allusion to the esculent nuts. 



Monoecious. Sterile flowers in small beads on droop- 

 ing peduncles, with deciduous scale-like bracts; perianth 

 bcTl-shapcd, 5 to G-cleft : stamens 8 to 12. Fertile 

 flowfes 2 within a 4-lobed prickly involucre : teeiante 

 with 4 to 5 minute awl-shaped lobes. Styles 3 : ovary 

 3-celled with 2 ovules in each cell. Nuts usually 2, sharp- 

 ly 3-sided, invested by the soft prickly coriaceous involucre, 

 which splits to below the middle into 4-valves. — Trees with 

 smooth gray baric, undividid straight veined leaves, and yellowish 

 flowers appearing with the leaves. 



F. ferruginea, Ait. American Beech. 



Liove; oblong ovate, acuminate, distinctly and often coarsely toothed, obtuse at 

 base: prid.Us of the fruit recurved or sr reading. 



Woods ah ng stres bib, common. May. A'l< auliful tree, often L0 cr CO fee 

 fov<.r< d with thick pmcoth ash-gray bark. Leaves - to 5 inches long, often a hue 

 heart-thaped at base, bright green aad shining atove. fiiiy uwkrdealh vl.cn 

 joung. Nuts small, oily, sweet and nutritious. The £td JJicch is n^v- Cvniidi-rcd 

 as only a variety, with the wood softer and easier of cleavage. 



4. CORYLUS, Tourn. Hazel-nut. Filbert. 



Gr. Lotus, a helmet or cur. In allnsion to the involucre. 



McEcecicus. Sterile flowers in drooping -cylindrical 

 Bmeuts, (he ccrcave tracts and the 2-elcft perianth combined 

 to fcim S.klcd scales, to the axis of which the 8 thoit fila- 

 ments irregularly cchcrc. Firtjle flcvirs several to- 

 gether in lateral and terminal scaly buds. Sll( KA 2, thread- 

 like. Ovary 2-celkd with 1 ovule in each cell. Nut long. 



