Fagaceae
(Oak Family)
Habit
-
monoecious shrubs or trees
Leaves
-
alternate,
simple,
stipulate
Flowers
-
imperfect,
regular;
staminate inflorescences
catkins;
pistillate flowers
solitary or in groups of 2-3 (7),
sessile and surrounded by an
involucre of many
connate bractlets
Sepals
- 4-7,
connate in
staminate flowers; 4-8, very reduced and
connate and
adnate to
ovary in
pistillate flowers
Petals
- absent
Stamens
- 4-many,
distinct
Gynoecium
- of 3-7
connate
carpels;
ovary inferior with 3-7
locules and 2
ovules per
locule; all but one aborting
Fruit
- a
nut
subtended or surrounded by a
woody "cupule" (
accrescent involucre of
bractlets) variously leafy,
`spiny....
Diversity
- 7 genera / ca. 1000 species
Distribution
- mostly North Temperate few extending to tropics;
1 genus in Southern Hemisphere, Malasia
Economics
- Quercus -- Oak; comercial source of charcoal; cork harvested from bark for wine, etc....; acorns important wildlife food (famous pig migrations in Europe); used by indigenous peoples of North America as foodstuff (high in t
annins -- must be leached before consumption)
- Castanea -- Chestnut; edible nut
- Lithocarpus -- tanbark oak; commercial source of tannins for tanning leather.....
- Fagus -- beech; lumber and ornamental...
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