Carpinus betulus

Carpinus betulus
Carpinus betulus
European Hornbeam in summer
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Carpinus
Species: C. betulus
Binomial name
Carpinus betulus
L.

Carpinus betulus (European or common hornbeam) is a hornbeam native to eastern,[1] western, central and southern England. It requires a warm climate for good growth, and occurs only at elevations up to 600 metres. It grows in mixed stands with oak, and in some areas beech, and is also a common tree in scree forests.

Description

European Hornbeam seed catkins

It is a small to medium-size tree reaching heights of 15–25 m, rarely 30 m, and often has a fluted and crooked trunk. The bark is smooth and greenish-grey, even in old trees. The buds, unlike those of the beech, are 10 mm long at the most, and pressed close to the twig. The leaves are alternate, 4–9 cm long, with prominent veins giving a distinctive corrugated texture, and a serrated margin. It is monoecious, and the wind pollinated male and female catkins appear in May after the leaves. The fruit is a small 7–8 mm long nut, partially surrounded by a three-pointed leafy involucre 3–4 cm long; it matures in autumn. The seeds often do not germinate till the spring of the second year after sowing. The hornbeam is a prolific seeder and is marked by vigorous natural regeneration.

Carpinus betulus is a shade-loving tree, which prefers moderate soil fertility and moisture. It has a shallow, wide-spreading root system and is marked by the production of stump sprouts when cut back. Because it stands up well to cutting back and has dense foliage, it has been much used in landscape gardening, mainly as tall hedges and for topiary. The wood is heavy and hard, and is used for tools and building constructions. It also burns hot and slowly, making it a very suitable firewood.[2] This was the reason for lopping and hence indirectly the saving of Epping Forest, where the hornbeam was a favoured pollarding tree.

See also List of Lepidoptera that feed on Carpinus

The leaves provide food for some animals, including Lepidoptera such as the case-bearer moth Coleophora anatipennella.

There are a number of notable forests where C. betulus is a dominant tree species, among which are:

Cultivars

There are several cultivars, notably 'Fastigiata', or 'Pyramidalis', a very fastigiate tree when young, which has become a popular urban street tree in the UK.

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Carpinus betulus —   Carpe …   Wikipedia Español

  • Carpinus betulus — Charme commun Charme commun …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Carpinus betulus — Hainbuche A Zweig mit Blütenständen, B Zweig mit Laubblättern und Fruchtständen. Systematik Unterklasse …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Carpinus betulus — paprastasis skroblas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Lazdyninių šeimos dekoratyvinis, medieninis augalas (Carpinus betulus), paplitęs Europoje ir Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Carpinus betulus angl. common hornbeam; European hornbeam vok.… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Carpinus Betulus — Hornbeam Horn beam , n. [See {Beam}.] (Bot.) A tree of the genus {Carpinus} ({Carpinus Americana}), having a smooth gray bark and a ridged trunk, the wood being white and very hard. It is common along the banks of streams in the United States,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Carpinus Betulus — Yoke Yoke (y[=o]k), n. [OE. yok, [yogh]oc, AS. geoc; akin to D. juk, OHG. joh, G. joch, Icel. & Sw. ok, Dan. aag, Goth. juk, Lith. jungas, Russ. igo, L. jugum, Gr. zy gon, Skr. yuga, and to L. jungere to join, Gr. ?, Skr. yui. [root]109, 280. Cf …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Carpinus betulus fastigiata — Charme fastigié Charme fastigié …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Carpinus betulus — ID 15692 Symbol Key CABE8 Common Name European hornbeam Family Betulaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Introduced to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution KY, NY Growth Habit Tree Duration …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • Carpinus betulus — noun medium sized Old World tree with smooth grey bark and leaves like beech that turn yellow orange in autumn • Syn: ↑European hornbeam • Hypernyms: ↑hornbeam • Member Holonyms: ↑Carpinus, ↑genus Carpinus …   Useful english dictionary

  • Carpinus betulus — Alm avnbøg …   Danske encyklopædi

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