Their smooth bark is often engraved by „tourists”…
The beech family is called FAGACEAE, in Latin. To this family botanists include beeches, oaks and the genus
Castanea. A beech tree has a smooth, grey bark and distinctly veined leaves. Flowers are inconspicuous, male and female separated on the same individual. The species forms in mountains and on hills beautiful pure forest stands at a level of the deciduous tree zone. It is widely world distributed, except Africa and southern Asia, and prefers calcareous warm soils. Fruits are closed in a bristly cupule and they are food for wild boars in winter.
Many years ago, I visited an exceptional beech forest in the Rotschild’s Reserve in the Austrian Alps. In Poland old beech stands I know from the summit of Turbacz in the Gorce Mts. (the Orkan’s Reserve), from Wysoka Mt. in Małe Pieniny and Ślęża Massif. Spectacular giant beeches grow in the vicinity of Szklarska Poręba in Karkonosze Mts. and Góry Izerskie. On the Miłek Mt. and near Podgórki village in the Kaczawa Mts. one can observe many orchid species growing in the undergrowth of beech forests. Probably, the most characteristic beech forest is protected in Lower Silesia near Henryków village in Muszkowicki Las Bukowy reserve (the Muszkowice Beech Forest, see my other album).
I always admire beech trees having huge trunks and crowns, and their green-yellow-red-brown canopy. An autumn image on mountain slopes is enriched by beech colours!!!
It will be continued ...
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