Fagus orientalis, commonly known as the Oriental beech, is a deciduous tree in the beech family Fagaceae. It is native to Eurasia, in Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
Description
Fagus orientalis is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though more typically tall and up to trunk diameter.
The leaf are alternate, simple, and entire or with a slightly crenate margin, long and broad, with 7–13 veins on each side of the leaf (6–7 veins in F. sylvatica). The are long and slender, long and thick, but thicker, till , where the buds include flower buds.
The are small which appear shortly after the leaves in spring.
The are small triangular nuts long and wide at the base; there are two nuts in each cupule, maturing in the autumn 5–6 months after pollination. The cupule differs from that of Fagus sylvatica ( Fagus sylvatica) in having flattened, slightly leaf-like appendages at the base (which are slender, soft spines in European beech).
Taxonomy
Fagus orientalis is closely related to
Fagus sylvatica (the European beech), and hybridises with it in the
Balkans and northwestern Turkey. These hybrids with European Beech are named
Fagus × taurica Popl. ''Fagus.
Distribution and habitat
The tree's natural range extends from southeastern
Bulgaria Strandja mountain range and
Greece through northwest
Turkey, and east to the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia and
Russia, as well as the
Alborz Mountains in
Iran.
Use
The wood of
Fagus orientalis is heavy, hard, strong and highly resistant to shock. These features makes it suitable for
steam bending. The wood is also a source to
fuelwood and can be used for constructions
particleboard, furniture, flooring
Wood veneer, mining poles, railway tiles and paper.
See also
-
Caucasus mixed forests ecoregion — key species in the ecoregion
-
Abies nordmanniana (Nordmann fir)
External links
