Article by Frank Dennis Bishop, Jr.
HIGHER TAXA:
(Pedrides, 1988)
DESCRIPTION: The European hornbeam is a deciduous, round-headed tree that has a fluted trunk. The European hornbeam reaches a height of seventy feet. The leaves of the tree are oval, preeminently veined and are dark green (Brickell, 1989). The tree has a pyramidal crown, becoming irregular with age (Huxley, 1992). The European hornbeam also bears green catkins from late spring to autumn, when clusters of winged nuts appear (Brickell, 1989). The tree was originally named by Carl von Linnaeus (Bean, 1915).
IDENTIFICATION KEY: The European Hornbeam can be indentified from the other species of Carpinus because it has fruit that bract strongly and regulary trilobed (Huxley, 1992). The European hornbeam differs from the American hornbeam in that its winter buds are hairless, its leaves are hairier on their undersides, are rather thicker, and have seven to fifteen pairs of side-veins more definitely impressed than those of the American hornbeam. The European hornbeam has slender spindle-shaped leaves that are about a forth of an inch long and the old, brown leaves are retained throughout the winter. The tree has beech-like foliage that in the fall assume beautiful shades of yellow and red (Everett, 1981). The European hornbeam has male catkins that reach three centimeters long and female catkins that reach twelve centimeters long. The fruit produced by the tree bract strongly, and are regularly trilobed (Huxley, 1992). The European hornbeam has several distinct varieties. Carpinus b. columnaris and Carpinus b. fastigiata have branches more upright than is typical of the species. Carpinus b. columnaris is slow growing and becomes egg shaped as it ages. Carpinus b. fastigiata is more or less conical at first, then grows more rapidly and with age becomes looser in habit and rounded (Everett, 1981).
The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. (Key).
Carpinus betulus L. |
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| AREA | STATUS | REFERENCES |
| Europe: | Yes | Everett, 1981 |
| Iraq: | Yes | Everett, 1981 |
| Southern New England: | Rare | Everett, 1981 |
| Asia minor: | Yes | Huxley and Griffiths, 1992 |
| North America: | No | Everett, 1981 |
| Georgia: | No | Everett, 1981 |
| Sams Farm: | No | Frank Bishop,Pers. Ob. |
NATURAL HISTORY: The European hornbeam is native from Europe to Iraq and thrives inland better than near the sea. The tree is not particular to soil and can grow in dry and rocky places (Everett, 1981). The European hornbeam is invaluable for shelter and is used for stilt hedges. In the past, the European hornbeam was grown on the coppice system, a long rotation, for fuel. The tree is also grown on roadsides and in recreational parks (Huxley, 1992).
REFERENCES:
Bean, W. J. 1915. Trees and Shurbs Hardy in the British Isles. E. P. Dutton and Co.
New York
Brickell, Christopher ed. 1989. The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of
Everett, Thomas. H. 1981. The New York Botanical Garden Illustrated Encyclopedia of
Horticulture. Garland Publishing Inc. New York, NY. pg. 626-7.
Farr, Ellen, Jan Leussink & Frans Stafleu. 1979. Index Nominum Genericorum
(Plantarum). "Carpinus Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 998 Mai 1753 LT.: C. betulus Linnaeus
(vide N.L. Britton et A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N.U.S. ed. 2. 1: 606. 7 June 1913)". Bohn,
Scheltema and Holkema, Utrecht dr. W. Junk b. v. Publishers. The Hauge.
(Could have been used for original citation and general info but was not
available.)
Hooker & Jackson. 1895. Index Kewensis. "Betulus, Linn. Sp. Pl. 998-Euro.; Reg. Cauc;
Persia". At the Clarendon Press. Oxford. (Could have been used but was not
available).
Huxley, Anthony & Mark Griffiths ed. 1992. The New Royal Horticultural Society
Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan Press Limited. London. pg. 523-4.
Pedrides, George. 1988. A Field Guide to Eastern Trees. Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA.
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles & C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the
Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill, NC.
Stapf, O. 1930. Index Londinensis. "Hoppe, Ect. Pl. Ratisb. t. 212 (1788)". At the
Clarendon Press. Oxford. (Could have been used but not available).
