140 WOODS OF COMMERCE 



Beeeh, She {Gryftocdrya glaucesoens R. Br. : Order Laurinece). 

 " Black Beecli, Sassafras, White Laurel." North-Eastern AustraHa. 

 Height 70—80 ft. ; diam. 1| — 2 ft. Soft, ornamental, not durable. 

 Used in cooperage. The name has also been appHed to 0. obovdta 

 R. Br. [See Sycamore, White.] 



Beech, White, in Canada is Fdgus sylvdtica L. [See Beech, 

 Common]. In Australia the name is applied to Mceoodrpus Kirtoni 

 F. V. M. [See Ash, Mountain], Gmelina Leichhdrdtii F. v. M. [See 

 Beech, Common], and to PJiylldnihus Ferdindndi MiilL Arg. (Order 

 EufhorUdom). This tree, also called " Pencil Cedar," '' Lignum- 

 vita," and by the aborigines " Chow-way " and " Tow-war," a 

 native of the north-east, reaches a height of 70—80 ft. and a diameter 

 of 1—1 J ft. Its wood is grey, close-grained, and easy to work, but 

 warps. It is used in building and for staves. 



Beeeh, Water. See Hornheam. 



Beef-wood in Trinidad is Bhopala montdna (Order Protedcece), a 

 valuable timber ; but in AustraHa the name is hopelessly vague, 

 being apphed to members of four genera of Protedcece, viz. , Bdnksia, 

 Grevillea, Hdhea and Stenocdrpus, and to several species of the 

 widely differing genus Casuarina. For Bdnksia see Honeysuckle ; 

 for HdJcea, Pinbush ; for Stenocdrpus, Oak, Silky ; for Casuarina 

 equisetifoUa, Oak, Swamp ; for 0. suherosa, She-oak, Erect ; and for 

 0. torulosa, Oak, Forest. 



Grevillea stridta R. Br. (Order Protedcece), also known as " Silvery 

 Honeysuckle," and by the aborigines as '' Turraic," reaches a height 

 of 40 — 50 ft., with a diam. of 1 J ft. Its timber is red and prettily 

 marked, though named from its resemblance to raw beef, hard, 

 close-grained, and susceptible of a good poHsh. It is used for 

 fencing, cabinet work, and furniture. [See also Bullet-wood.] 



Bendy-tree. See XJmhrella-tree. 



Betis (Payena Betis Villar : Order Sapotdcece). Philippines. Used 

 in ship-building, and classed in the^^third line of Lloyd's Eegister. 



Big-tree (Sequoia gigdntea Decaisne : Order Coniferce). " Mam- 

 moth tree of Cahfornia." " Wellingtonia." French " Sequoia 

 gigantesque," Germ. " Riesen Sequoia," Ital. " Gigante della Cali- 

 fornia." Western slopes of Sierra Nevada, California, 5,000 — 

 8,000 ft. above sea-level. Height 250 — 400 ft. ; diam. sometimes 

 exceeding 35 ft. The specimen, 62 ft. in girth, of which a section 

 is exhibited in the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, 

 has 1,335 annual rings. Wood red-brown, light, soft, brittle, weak, 

 cross-grained, durable in contact with soil. Formerly used locally 

 for lumber, fencing, shingles, etc., but now only of historical interest. 

 Introduced into England as an ornamental tree by William Lobb 

 in 1853. 



