Fagus orientalis

Fagus orientalis, the Oriental beech, is a deciduous tree in the family Fagaceae. It is native to Thrace in the southeastern Balkans in Europe, and Turkey in 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. Like all beeches, it has smooth, grey bark.
The leaves are alternate, simple, and entire or with a slightly crenate margin, long and broad, with 7–13 veins on each side of the leaf. The buds are long and slender, long and thick, but thicker, till, where the buds include flower buds.
The flowers are small catkins which appear shortly after the leaves in spring.
The seeds 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 European beech in having flattened, slightly leaf-like appendages at the base.

Taxonomy

Fagus orientalis is closely related to Fagus sylvatica, and hybridises with it in the Balkans. Populations in the far northeast of Turkey and the Caucasus region have recently been split off as a separate species, Fagus hohenackeriana, and those from the Alborz mountains as Fagus caspica.

Distribution and habitat

The tree's natural range extends from southeastern Bulgaria's Strandja mountain range and northeastern Greece to northwest and northern Turkey, and locally in southern Turkey. It occurs in moist mountain habitats, often mixed with Abies nordmanniana.

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 veneer, mining poles, railway tiles and paper.