Difference between revisions of "Beech" - New World Encyclopedia

Revision as of 02:33, 3 August 2007

Beech

European Beech leaves and cupules

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Fagaceae
Genus:	Fagus L.

Species

Fagus crenata - Japanese Beech
Fagus engleriana - Chinese Beech
Fagus grandifolia - American Beech
Fagus hayatae - Taiwan Beech
Fagus japonica - Japanese Blue Beech
Fagus longipetiolata - South Chinese Beech
Fagus lucida - Shining Beech
Fagus mexicana - Mexican Beech or Haya
Fagus orientalis - Oriental Beech
Fagus sylvatica - European Beech

Beech (Fagus) is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. The leaves are entire or sparsely toothed, from 5-15 cm long and 4-10 cm broad. The flowers are small single-sex, wind-pollinated catkins, produced in spring shortly after the new leaves appear. The fruit is a small, sharply 3-angled nut 10-15 mm long, borne in pairs in soft-spined husks 1.5-2.5 cm long, known as cupules. The nuts are edible, though bitter with a high tannin content, and can be called beechmast.

The southern beeches Nothofagus previously thought closely related to beeches, are now treated in a separate family Nothofagaceae. They are found in Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia and South America.

The beech blight aphid (Grylloprociphilus imbricator) is a common pest of beech trees. Beeches are also used as food plants by some species of Lepidoptera - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Beeches.

Uses

The beech most commonly grown as an ornamental tree is the European Beech (Fagus sylvatica), widely cultivated in North America as well as its native Europe. The European species yields a widely used timber, an easy-to-work utility wood.

Chips of beech wood are used in the brewing of Budweiser beer to impart a taste similar to that of wood-barrel aging.

Also, beech pulp is used as the basis for manufacturing a textile fibre known as Modal.

European Beech leaves
Flowers of Fagus sylvatica
BeechTrunk.JPG

Base of a Beech

External links

Credits

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History of "Beech"

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Claimed}}{{Contracted}}
-{{Taxobox begin | color = lightgreen | name = Beech}}
-{{Taxobox image | image = [[Image:EuroBeech.jpg|260px]] | caption = European Beech leaves and cupules}}
+{{Taxobox
-{{Taxobox begin placement | color = lightgreen}}
+| color = lightgreen
-{{Taxobox regnum entry | taxon = [[Plant]]ae}}
+| name = Beech
-{{Taxobox divisio entry | taxon = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]}}
+| image = European Beech.jpg
-{{Taxobox classis entry | taxon = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]}}
+| image_width = 260px
-{{Taxobox ordo entry | taxon = [[Fagales]]}}
+| image_caption = European Beech leaves and cupules
-{{Taxobox familia entry | taxon = [[Fagaceae]]}}
+| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
-{{Taxobox genus entry | taxon = '''''Fagus'''''}}<br/>{{Taxobox authority new | authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]}}
+| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
-{{Taxobox end placement}}
+| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
-{{Taxobox section subdivision | color = lightgreen | plural_taxon = Species}}
+| ordo = [[Fagales]]
-''Fagus crenata'' - [[Japanese Beech]]<br/>
+| familia = [[Fagaceae]]
-''Fagus engleriana'' - [[Chinese Beech]]<br/>
+| genus = '''''Fagus'''''
-''Fagus grandifolia'' - [[American Beech]]<br/>
+| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
-''Fagus hayatae'' - [[Taiwan Beech]]<br/>
+| subdivision_ranks = Species
-''Fagus japonica'' - [[Japanese Blue Beech]]<br/>
+| subdivision =
-''Fagus longipetiolata'' - [[South Chinese Beech]]<br/>
+''[[Fagus crenata]]'' - Japanese Beech<br/>
-''Fagus lucida'' - [[Shining Beech]]<br/>
+''[[Fagus engleriana]]'' - Chinese Beech<br/>
-''Fagus mexicana'' - [[Mexican Beech]] or Haya<br/>
+''[[Fagus grandifolia]]'' - American Beech<br/>
-''Fagus orientalis'' - [[Oriental Beech]]<br/>
+''[[Fagus hayatae]]'' - Taiwan Beech<br/>
-''Fagus sylvatica'' - [[European Beech]]<br/>
+''[[Fagus japonica]]'' - Japanese Blue Beech<br/>
-{{Taxobox end}}
+''[[Fagus longipetiolata]]'' - South Chinese Beech<br/>
+''[[Fagus lucida]]'' - Shining Beech<br/>
+''[[Fagus mexicana]]'' - Mexican Beech or Haya<br/>
+''[[Fagus orientalis]]'' - Oriental Beech<br/>
+''[[Fagus sylvatica]]'' - European Beech<br/>
+}}
 '''Beech''' (''Fagus'') is a genus of ten [[species]] of [[deciduous]] [[tree]]s in the family [[Fagaceae]], native to temperate [[Europe]], [[Asia]], and [[North America]]. The [[leaf|leaves]] are entire or sparsely toothed, from 5-15 cm long and 4-10 cm broad. The [[flower]]s are small single-sex, wind-pollinated [[catkin]]s, produced in spring shortly after the new leaves appear. The [[fruit]] is a small, sharply 3-angled [[nut (fruit)|nut]] 10-15 mm long, borne in pairs in soft-spined husks 1.5-2.5 cm long, known as cupules. The nuts are edible, though bitter with a high [[tannin]] content, and can be called beechmast.
+The '''southern beeches''' ''[[Nothofagus]]'' previously thought closely related to beeches, are now treated in a separate family Nothofagaceae. They are found in [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[New Guinea]], [[New Caledonia]] and [[South America]].
+The [[beech blight aphid]] (''Grylloprociphilus imbricator'') is a common pest of beech trees. Beeches are also used as food plants by some species of [[Lepidoptera]] - see [[list of Lepidoptera which feed on Beeches]].
+==Uses==
 The beech most commonly grown as an ornamental tree is the [[European Beech]] (''Fagus sylvatica''), widely cultivated in North America as well as its native Europe. The European species yields a widely used timber, an easy-to-work utility wood.
-Beeches are used as food plants by some species of [[Lepidoptera]] - see [[list of Lepidoptera which feed on Beeches]].
+Chips of beech wood are used in the brewing of [[Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Budweiser]] [[beer]] to impart a taste similar to that of wood-barrel aging.
-The '''southern beeches''' ''[[Nothofagus]]'' previously thought closely related to beeches, are now treated in a separate family Nothofagaceae. They are found in [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[New Guinea]], [[New Caledonia]] and [[South America]].
+Also, beech pulp is used as the basis for manufacturing a textile fibre known as [[Modal (textile)|Modal]].
 <gallery>
 Image:Leavessnipedale.jpg|European Beech leaves
-Image:Fagus-orientalis.JPG|Oriental Beech leaves
 Image:Beech flowers.jpg|Flowers of ''Fagus sylvatica''
+Image:BeechTrunk.JPG|Base of a Beech
 </gallery>
-==See also==
-Etymologically, the word entered into such names as:
-*[[Buchenland]]
-*[[Buchenwald]]
 ==External links==
+{{commonscat|Fagus}}
 *[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=112623 Flora of China - ''Fagus'']
 *[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=112623 Flora of North America - ''Fagus'']
 *[http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcb_servlet/checklist?fam=&pub=&gen=Fagus&geog=&spec=&infra=&auth=&pubauth=on&basauth=on&Search=Search&query_type=param_query Kew Checklist - ''Fagus'']
-{{credit|59311743}}
+{{credit|145261049}}
 [[Category:Life sciences]]