Fagus (Fagaceae)
Fagus grandifolia
U Conn Plant Database
Fagus sylvatica
Univ. Uppsala
Fagus grandifolia
USDA APMRU
Plant:
Deciduous trees (to 40 m) with short trunk and smooth gray bark.
Leaves alternate, simple, serrate.
Flowers monoecious. Fruit a three-winged nut enclosed in a
spiky involucre with recurved spikes.
Pollen light micrograph:
Grain oblate - spheroidal 45-50µm,
tricolporate with relativel short (large polar area), narrow, distinct
furrows.
Pores are thinnings of the innter walls, surround by thick annulus,
oval to circular, exceeding the width of the furrow.
Sculpture scabrate to psilate.
Pollen scanning electron micrograph (SEM)
Although smooth in light microscopy, sculpturing resembles that
of Quercus in SEM.
Production and Dispersal:
Low production, moderate to poor dispersal.
Preservation:
Moderately well preserved.
Fossil Occurrence:
Present in the Oligocene Claiborne FM of Southeastern U.S.A. (Tsuchdy & Scott, 1969).
Oligocene fossils transitional between Fagaceae subfamilies Castaneoideae and Fagoideae
(Crepet & Nixon, 1989.)
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Delcourt, H. R., Delcourt, P. A. 1974.
Primeval Magnolia-Holly-Beech Climax in Louisiana. Ecology 55 (3): pp. 638-644.
Dexter, F., Banks, H., Webb, T. 1987.
Modeling Holocene changes in the Location and Abundance of Beech Populations in Eastern North America. Review of Paleobotany and Palyntology 50: 273-292.
Faegri, Knut 1954.
On Age and origin of the Beech Forest (Fagus silvatica L.) At Lygrefjorden near Bergen (Norway). Danmarks Geologiske Undersogelse. II.Raeke.Nr.80.
Firbas, F. 1955.
Uber das Fagus-Vorkommen im Interglazial Von Wasserburg am inn (Oberbayern). Sonderdruck aus den Veroffentlichungen des Geobotanischen instritues Rubel.
Gortemaker R. 1986.
A method to identify pollen of some recient and fossel species of Fagus L. (Fagaceae), Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology
Tsuchdy, R.H. and Scott, R.A. 1969.
Aspects of palynology. Wiley Interscience.
