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THE BEECH FAMILY— FAGACEAE. 



The Beech family contains some of the most important timber sp 

 cies and has its representatives distributed in nearly all regions 

 the world. The Pine family alone surpasses this one in economic ii; 

 portance. It yields not only high grade wood but also food in tl 

 form of nuts, tanning and dyeing materials, and cork. The wood 

 of a high grade and used extensively. 



The members of the Beech family have alternate, simple, pinnatel 

 veined, mostly deciduous leaves. A division of the family known 

 the Live Oaks retains its leaves during the winter. The flowei 

 staminate and pistillate, which are rather inconspicuous, are usual 

 yellowish to greenish in color and found on different parts of t] 

 same tree and usually on different parts of the same branch. T. 

 inconspficuous flowers of this family stand in strong contrast wi 

 the conspicuous flowers of such species as the Magnolias, Cherri< 

 Apples, Papaw, and other broad-leaved trees. The fruit consists 

 one or more one-seeded nuts covered by an outer cartilaginous a] 

 an inner membranous covering. It is usually heavy and in soi 

 species matures in one season while in others it requires two seasoi 

 On account of the heavy weight of the seeds they usually fall i 

 mediately below the tree and remain there unless disseminated 

 animals, birds, water, or gravity on slopes. The seed fills the ent: 

 cavity of the nut. 



This family consists of 6 genera and about 400 species of trees a 

 s'hrubs of which number 5 genera with about 60 species occur in Noi 

 America and 3 genera with 19 species in Pennsylvania. The 3 gene 

 not found in Pennsylvania are Castanopsis, Pasania, and Nothofag 

 Representatives of the first 2 genera are found in the western pjjf 

 of the United States, while the genus Nothofagus is confined to He 

 southern hemisphere. The subjoined key will distinguish theS 

 genera found in Pennsylvania. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



1. staminate aments in globose heads; nute. triangular; buds long, slender, sharp- 

 pointed, conical, 5 times as long as wide Fagus 



1, Staminate aments elongated, slender: nuts not triangular; buds shorter, stout, 



dull-pointed, not 5 times as long as wide, 2 



2. Staminate ameut-i erect or ascending; nuts enclosed in a prickly bur; buds covered 



with a few ovei lapping scales, terminal ones absent, Castanea 



2. Staminate aments drooping: nuts seated in an open scaly cup; buds covered with many 

 pverlacping scaies and clustered at the terminal end of twig, Quercus 



