LocAi.ints. — In woods, especially on a chalky soil. Abundant in forests in 
the South of Kngland ; yet C.c.sar asserts there was, at the time of his invasion* 
no Beech-timber in Britain. It is scaicely wild in Scotland, or Ireland. 
Tree. — Flowers in April and May. 
From 50 to 80, or even 100, feet high, when full grown. Bark 
smooth, entire, and of a greyish or whitish colour when fully ex- 
posed to the air. Branches numerous, generally upright, though 
in old trees, the lower ones are often horizontal, and sometimes 
bent down in the middle, and curved towards the extremity. 
Leaves alternate, egg-shaped, shining, thin, waved, scarcely ser- 
rated, finely fringed, changing to a brown or russet colour in the 
Autumn. Barren Flowers 3 or 4 together, in round, stalked, 
drooping heads, or catkins (fig. 1.), of a light brown colour. Fertile 
Floiuers above them, solitary, on shorter and stouter stalks than 
the barren-flowered catkins. Involucrum (see figs. 5 & 7.) 4-cleft, 
clothed with simple pliant prickles. Stigmas, 3 in each flower, 
spreading, acute, and downy. Nuts (figs. 9 & 10.) 2, with 3 equal, 
very sharp angles, and crowned with the calyx (see fig. 9). The 
involucrum ( outer calyx of Smith,/, (fig. 8.), which enlarges and 
becomes very hard and woody, encloses the nuts till they are ripe, 
when it opens at the summit, in 4 divisions ; and after a short time, 
the nuts drop out, leaving the involucrum (fig. 8.), which contained 
them, attached to the tree. Seedlings of this tree, when newly 
sprung up, have a pair of large blunt cotyledons, about three 
quarters of an inch long, and an inch and a quarter wide; in this 
state they very much resemble small plants of the common tway- 
blaclc ( Lislera ovata J. 
The Beech is one of the handsomest of our native forest-trees, vieing with the 
Oak in magnificence and beauty. It is a native of the temperate parts of Kurope, 
from the South of Norway to the Mediterranean Sea, and from England to Constan- 
tinople* It is also found in Palestine, Asia Minor, Armenia, and Mazaaderan. 
In actual utility the Beech follows next to the Oak and the Ash, exceeding the 
latter in dimensions. It is as necessary to the cabinet-maker and turner, as the Oak 
is to the ship-builder, or the Ash to the plough and cart-wright. The nuts of the 
Beech, when eaten in great quantities, occasion liead-ache and giddiness ; never- 
theless, when ground into meal, they make a wholesome bread. They are some- 
times roasted and substituted for coflce. In Britain, the only use, at present, made 
of these nuts (or beech mast) is by turning swine, deer, and poultry, into beech 
woods, to pick them up ; but in France, they form a most important article of do- 
mestic consumption, for making oil, which is considered not only excellent for 
burning in lamps, but also for cooking, and especially for frying fish. The leaves 
gathered in Autumn, before they are much injured by the fro>ts, make infinitely 
better matrasses than straw or chaff, and endure for 7 or 8 years. The catkins of 
the barren flowers, after they fall from the tree, are, in sonic places, gathered, dried, 
aud laid up for packing fruit in, which is to be sent to a distance. — For a most com- 
plete, and very interesting history, &c. of this tree, illustrated with no less than 40 
beautifully executed wood engravings, see Mr. Loudon’s Arbor, et Fruct. Brit. 
pp. I960 to 1980. 
Erinemnfayi neinn % Grkv. grows on the under side of the leaves of some of the 
beech trees near Shotover Plantations, near Oxford; and the beautiful moss, 
l.'t/uldtuin, produces its fructification abundantly, on dry banks, under their 
shade, just after entering the carriage-road to Mr. Sciiutz’s from the top of the hill. 
