Fagus japonica
Blue Japanese beech (Fagus japonica)
The Japanese beech and Japanese Blue Beech (Fagus japonica) is a deciduous tree of the genus of the book. Their natural habitat is Japan, the name Blue - beech it has because of the bluish color of the leaves.
Description
The Japanese beech reaches a height of 25 meters and is usually multi-stemmed. The leaves are 5-9 inches long, elliptic - ovate to ovate, pointed with a wedge- shaped base. The leaf blade is entire, notched or slightly sinuate. The upper leaf surface is bluish green, the underside bluish. The center rib is slightly hairy, there are 9 to 15 pairs of nerves formed. As fruits nuts are formed protruding halfway out of the 6 to 8 millimeters long, provided with three excrescences fruit cup, which is unique among the beeches.
Distribution and habitat requirements
The Japanese beech is a common deciduous tree in the deep layers of the temperate zones of Japan. There you can find them in biodiversity-rich forests on fresh to moist, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, mostly clayey soils. It prefers sunny to light -shade, warm temperatures and usually frost hardy.
System
The Japanese beech is a species of the genus Book. There are two varieties:
- Fagus japonica var japonica
- Fagus japonica var multinervis
Use
The wood of the species is rarely used, it is economically less significant than the notch - beech ( Fagus crenata ). Due to the remarkable fall color they will occasionally used as an ornamental plant.