American beech

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American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

The American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) is a species of beech in the family Fagaceae. It is native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario in southeastern Canada, west to Wisconsin and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida in the United States.

Pronunciation

American Beech: /əˈmɛrɪkən biːtʃ/

Etymology

The term "beech" comes from Old English bēce, from Proto-Germanic *bōkijǭ, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bhagos, a type of broad-leaved tree. The species name grandifolia comes from Latin and means "large-leaved".

Description

The American Beech is a large tree typically reaching heights of 20–35 m (66–115 ft) and a trunk diameter of 60–120 cm (24–47 in). The leaves are dark green, simple and sparsely-toothed with small teeth that terminate each vein, 6–12 cm (2.4–4.7 in) long (rarely 15 cm, 5.9 in), with a short petiole. The winter twigs are distinctive among North American trees, being long and slender (15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) by 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in)) with two rows of overlapping scales on the buds.

Related Terms

  • Fagaceae: The plant family that includes beeches and oaks.
  • Beechmast: The nuts of the beech tree, which are a food source for numerous wild animals.
  • Deciduous: Trees that shed their leaves annually.
  • Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the aid of chlorophyll pigments.

External links

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