CHAP. CV.

COKYLA'CEiE. jFA'GUS.

1951

Horticultural Society, in the autumn of 1817. This tree had beengrafted on a common beech stock, about 3 ft. from the ground.The place of grafting is marked by the stock being larger than thegraft on every side; so that the stem of the purple beech seems as ifit had been merely set down flat on the stock. “ At 1 ft. from theground, the trunk of the stock, or common beech, measures 10 ft.lOin. in circumference; and, immediately at the place of grafting,the trunk of the purple beech measures only 9 ft. 6 in. in circum-ference,” From the ground to the first branch is about 12 ft. Thetotal height of the tree is between 50 ft. and 60 ft., and the diameterof the head is 45 ft. It was planted in 1752, and was, consequently,when seen by Dr. Neill, about 65 years old. It is altogether, saysthe doctor, “ a very handsomely formed well-balanced tree. To aspectator standing directly under it, the leaves appear nearly of theusual green colour; and they are but slightly tinged with purple asfar as they are excluded from the sun; as they approach outwards,they get a stronger purplish hue; and on the very exterior they areof a deep purple; insomuch that the tree, when seen from a dis-tance, appears clothed in black;” and hence the name which it bearsin Belgium , of swartze beeckenboom , the black beech tree. This treeevery year ripens seeds, from which numerous young plants havebeen raised, the greater part of which have purple leaves; and, in ayoung hedge in M. Smetz’s garden formed of seedling plants fromthis tree, the deputation “ observed every variety of hue in thefoliage, from green to purple; yet no individual was completely green,and none completely purple.” (p. 107.) This tree, in all probability,is the same as that alluded to by Bose. On writing to Dr. Somme,Director of the Botanic Garden at Antwerp , in May, 1837, heinforms us that the trunk, at 7fin. above the graft, is 15 ft. JO in. incircumference; but that at 6 ft. 7 in. above the graft the circumfe-rence is 3 ft. 10 in. less. The diameter of the head is 72 ft., and thetotal height of the tree is 72 ft. The handsomest purple beech inEngland is at Enville; and,when we saw it in 1831, it was between60 ft. and 70 ft. high, clothed with branches to the ground, whereit extended over a space above 60 ft. in diameter. It stands ona small lawn in the pleasure-grounds, and is, consequently, pro-tected from cattle. The loftiest purple beech in England is at Syon,where, in 1834, it was 71 ft. high; the diameter of the trunk 2 ft.10 in., and of the head 61 ft. It flowers, and occasionally ripens seed,from which, however, we believe, no plants have yet been raised.

iF.s.3 cuprea Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, the copper-coloured Beech , abovealluded to, as a subvariety of F. s. purpurea, has the young shootsand leaves of a paler colour than those of the purple beech. Itmakes a splendid appearance in the sunshine, and when the leavesare gently ruffled with the wind ; but, in a state of repose, and on adark cloudy day, it can hardly be distinguished from the commongreen-leaved beech.

i F. s. 4 fbliu variegdtis Lodd. Cat,, ed. 1836, has the leaves variegatedwith white and yellow, interspersed with some streaks of red andpurple. This variety is handsome in spring, when the leaves firstmake their appearance; but, in the course of the summer, theirvariegation is in a great measure lost, and the leaves assume a dirtyunhealthy aspect. There are also varieties with the leaves striped orblotched with white only, and others with only golden-striped leaves.

^ F. s. 5 heterophylla ; F, s. laciniata Lodd. Cat. , ed. 1836; F. s. aspleni-folia Lodd. Cat. , ed. 1836; F. s. incisa Sort.; F. s. salicifolia Sort.;Hetre a Feuilles de Saule, Fr.; the various, or cut, leaved Beech ; has theleaves variously cut, as in_/ig. 1875.; sometimes in narrow shreds, toas to resemble a fern, as in fig.WKt.; and, at other times, in shreds of6 L