Species: Fagus sylvatica L.

(Fagus sylvatica L.)
-> Genus: Fagus -> Family: Fagaceae -> Group: Angiosperms

Habitus

  • tree of first size - robust, majestic, reaching heights of 30 – 40 m
  • crown is oval to broadly spreading, variable in shape
  • is a shape unstable tree - when growing as a solitary tree it has a tendency to branch out
  • root system is cylindrical to heart-shaped
  • bark is brown, smooth
  • outer bark is light gray to dark gray, smooth even into old age, only rarely slightly longitudinally cracked at the base

Buds

  • they are arranged in a spiral, often alternately in two rows.
  • leafy ones are 15 - 30 x 3 - 5 mm large, spindle-shaped, pointed, sessile, bent away from the twig at an angle of 45°
  • flowery ones are 15 - 20 x 8 - 10 mm large, broadly ovate, acute
  • covering scales are multiple, reddish-brown, with grayish edges, ribbed

Shoots

  • they are rounded, olive green, gray pubescent, later reddish brown
  • small, yellowish lenticels

Leaves (assimilation organs)

  • simple, egg-shaped to elliptical, short-pointed, with a widely wedge-shaped base
  • margin entire, wavy to serrated
  • upper side dark green and glossy, lower side lighter, hairs present at least on the venation
  • stalk is 5 – 15 mm long
  • young leaves are silky hairy on both sides after unfolding, with long bristles along the edge
  • dropped leaves decompose slowly due to the high calcium content in the leaves, so the litter accumulates beneath the mother plant

Flowers

  • it is a monoecious woody plant, flowers are of different sexes
  • it blooms in May simultaneously with the unfolding of leaves
  • ♂ flowers - catkins are globular, yellowish-green, drooping, catkins are on 2 - 3 cm long pcels
  • ♀ flowers grow in pairs on a reddish-scaly bract that is 15 – 25 mm long on long shoots

Fruits – seeds

  • the fruit is a samara 10 - 15 x 10 mm in size, conical, sharply 3-angled, pointed, glossy, brown
  • the samaras are arranged in pairs in a woody spiny cup, and the cup opens after ripening with four valves
  • the seeds mature in September to October, with germination being relatively low at 60 - 80% and it retains viability for only half a year (similar to fir)
  • the seedling has two notably large cotyledons of a kidney shape and above them there are two primary opposite leaves that resemble normal leaves.

Extension

  • originally ± all of Europe with an oceanic climate, absent in warm areas with a lack of rainfall
  • in Slovakia 2 – 5 only except for lowlands and areas with a continental climate, from 300 to 1,260 m above the sea level (1,480 m above the sea level - Malá Fatra where it forms the upper limit of the forest)

Ecology

  • a shade-loving tree species, of an oceanic climate, requires a high nutrient content in the soil
  • it needs higher air and soil moisture and sufficient rainfall, avoiding both waterlogged and overly dry habitats
  • it grows well in fresh, nutrient-rich, and humus-rich soils
  • beech leaf litter decomposes better in good habitats, while in poorer ones it accumulates
  • it forms uniform stands, but also mixed stands with representatives of the oak genus (Quercus), white fir (Abies alba), and common spruce (Picea abies) depending on the altitude.

Significance

  • the wood is hard, strong, heavy, brittle, light pinkish in color, without core with mature wood (frequent occurrence of false core), which has uses in:
    • furniture production, sliced and peeled veneers
    • chemical processing - production of cellulose and other products (wood vinegar, alcohol, ...)
  • fruit-bearing tree - the fruits (beech mast - seeds) are mainly a significant source of food for forest game and birds during seed years
  • creates many decorative forms:
    • cut - leaved
    • red - leaved
    • spot - leaved

From history

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