FAGACEAE - Beech Family

Deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs

Leaves alternate, simple, often lobed, with stipules

Flowers inconspicuous, unisexual, reduced, staminate flowers solitary, in catkins or heads, pistillate flowers solitary or few in clusters

Fruit a 1-seeded nut, seed is solitary due to abortion of other embryos, see figure below.

8 genera, 900 species, divided into 3 subfamilies

1. Fagoideae - Fagus (beech)
2. Castaneoideae - Castanea (chestnuts)

3. Quercoideae - Quercus (oaks)

Economic uses - food (chestnuts) lumber, cork, ornamental and shade trees. The American Chestnut, Castanea dentata was a major component of the forests of the eastern U.S. The nuts were an important source of food for wildlife and humans and the lumber was also highly prized. A blight destroyed nearly all the adult trees, resulting in major changes to the forest. Attempts to develop resistant strains continue and may result in the presence of these magnificent plants in American forests again but it will take many decades. For a more detailed history of the American Chestnut and efforts to restore it, visit The American Chestnut Foundation.

Medicinal uses - members of this family produce large amounts of tannins, which have antiviral, antiseptic and antitumor properties but they are also carcinogenic

Diagnostic characters - trees with simple, alternate leaves, fruit a nut, partially covered with a cupule of hardened bracts