Editing Beech (section)

== Description ==
[[File:Fagus sylvatica leaf 001.jpg|thumb|Leaf of ''[[Fagus sylvatica]]'']]
[[File:Beechnuts during autumn.jpg|thumb|Beechnuts in autumn]]
Beeches are [[monoecious]], bearing both male and female flowers on the same plant. The small flowers are unisexual, the female flowers borne in pairs, the male flowers wind-pollinating [[catkin]]s. They are produced in spring shortly after the new leaves appear. The fruit of the beech tree, known as beechnuts or mast, is found in small [[bur]]rs that drop from the tree in autumn. They are small, roughly triangular, and edible, with a bitter, astringent, or mild and nut-like taste.

The European beech (''Fagus sylvatica'') is the most commonly cultivated, although few important differences are seen between species aside from detail elements such as [[leaf]] shape. The leaves of beech trees are entire or sparsely toothed, from {{convert|5|–|15|cm|in|0|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|4|–|10|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} broad.

The bark is smooth and light gray. The fruit is a small, sharply three-angled [[nut (fruit)|nut]] {{convert|10|–|15|mm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} long, borne singly or in pairs in soft-spined husks {{convert|1.5|–|2.5|cm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} long, known as cupules. The husk can have a variety of spine- to scale-like appendages, the character of which is, in addition to leaf shape, one of the primary ways beeches are differentiated.<ref name="Shen-1992">{{cite thesis |last=Shen |first=Chung-Fu |title=A Monograph of the Genus ''Fagus'' Tourn. Ex L. (Fagaceae) |date=1992 |type=PhD |publisher=City University of New York |oclc=28329966}}</ref> The nuts are called beechnuts<ref name="Lyle-2010">{{Cite book |last=Lyle |first=Katie Letcher |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them |publisher=[[FalconGuides]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59921-887-8 |edition=2nd |location=Guilford, CN |pages=138 |oclc=560560606 |orig-year=2004}}</ref> or beech mast and have a bitter taste (though not nearly as bitter as [[acorn]]s) and a high [[tannin]] content.