Envoy at 11:26, 17 September 2007

2007-09-17T11:26:46Z

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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Hornbeam
| image = Carpinus foliage.jpg
| image_width = 280px
| image_caption = European Hornbeam foliage
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Fagales]]
| familia = [[Betulaceae]]
| genus = '''''Carpinus'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
''Carpinus betulus'' - [[European Hornbeam]] 
''Carpinus caroliniana'' - [[American Hornbeam]] 
''Carpinus cordata'' - [[Sawa Hornbeam]] 
''Carpinus fargesii'' - [[Farges' Hornbeam]] 
''Carpinus faginea'' 
''Carpinus laxiflora'' - [[Aka-shide Hornbeam]] 
''Carpinus japonica'' - [[Japanese Hornbeam]] 
''Carpinus orientalis'' - [[Oriental Hornbeam]] 
''Carpinus tschonoskii'' - [[Chonowski's Hornbeam]] 
''Carpinus turczaninowii'' - [[Turkzaninov's Hornbeam]]
}}

Plants in the genus '''''Carpinus''''' (''[[Syllable stress of Botanical Latin|Cár-pi-nus]]'') are commonly called '''Hornbeams'''. They are relatively small [[hardwood]] [[tree]]s. Many botanists place the hornbeams in the [[birch]] family [[Betulaceae]], though some group them with the [[hazel]]s (''Corylus'') and [[hop-hornbeam]]s (''Ostrya'') in a [[segregate (taxonomy)|segregate]] family, ''Corylaceae''. The 30-40 species occur across much of the north temperate regions, with the greatest number of species in east [[Asia]], particularly [[China]]. Only two species occur in [[Europe]], and only one in eastern [[North America]].

[[Image:Carpinus fruit.jpg|left|thumb|European Hornbeam seed catkins]]
The leaves are [[deciduous]], alternate, and simple with a serrated margin, and typically vary from 3-10 cm in length. The flowers are wind-pollinated pendulous [[catkin]]s, produced in spring. The male and female flowers are on separate catkins, but on the same tree ([[Plant sexuality|monoecious]]). The fruit is a small [[nut (fruit)|nut]] about 3-6 mm long, held in a leafy bract; the bract may be either trilobed or simple oval, and is slightly asymmetrical. The asymmetry of the seedwing makes it spin as it falls, improving [[wind]] dispersal. The shape of the wing is important in the identification of different hornbeam species. There are typically 10-30 seeds on each seed catkin.

Hornbeams are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Autumnal Moth]], [[Common Emerald]], [[Feathered Thorn]], [[Svensson's Copper Underwing]] and [[Winter Moth]] (recorded on European Hornbeam) as well as the ''[[Coleophora]]'' case-bearers ''C. currucipennella'' and ''C. ostryae''.

[[Image:Carpinus seed.jpg|left|thumb|Individual European Hornbeam seed (enlarged; whole seed plus wing 4 cm long).]]
The [[European Hornbeam]] (''Carpinus betulus''), is a small to medium sized tree, typically 10-20 m tall but occasionally reaching 30 m. It is native to most of [[Europe]] except for northern [[Great Britain|Britain]] and most of [[Scandinavia]]. The leaves are 5-9 cm long, and the seeds have a 3-4 cm long trilobed [[bract]].

The Oriental Hornbeam (''Carpinus orientalis'') occurs in southeast Europe and southwest Asia, usually on hot dry sites at lower altitudes than ''C. betulus'', and is a smaller tree, rarely over 10 m tall and often [[shrub]]by. It has small leaves, 3-5 cm long. The seeds differ from ''C. betulus'' in having a simple bract (not trilobed), about 2 cm long.

The Japanese Hornbeam (''Carpinus japonica'') is similar to ''C. orientalis'' in having unlobed seed bracts, but differs from it in having larger leaves, 8-10 cm long.

The North American species, [[American Hornbeam]] (''Carpinus caroliniana'') is similar to ''C. betulus'' in leaf size and shape. The seed bract is also trilobed, but less deeply than in ''C. betulus''. 

[[Image:Coppicephoto.jpg|thumb|left|[[Coppice]]d European Hornbeam at [[Hockley Woods]], [[Essex]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]]]
The wood of hornbeams is very hard, giving rise to the name iron-wood and not used much due to the difficulty of working it. Its hardness has however lent it to use for carving boards, tool handles, coach wheels and other situations where a very tough, hard wood is required. It is sometimes [[coppice]]d to provide hardwood poles.

The common English name of "hornbeam" derives from the hardness of the wood (likened to [[horn (anatomy)|horn]]) and the [[Old English language|Old English]] ''beam'', a tree (cognate with [[German language|German]] "baum"). American Hornbeam is also occasionally known as blue-beech, ironwood, or musclewood; the first from the resemblance of the bark to that of the American [[Beech]] ''Fagus grandifolia'', the other two from the hardness of the wood and the muscular appearance of the trunk respectively. The botanic name for the [[genus]], ''Carpinus'', is the original [[Latin]] name for the European species.

{{commons|Category:Carpinus|Carpinus}}
{{wiktionarypar|hornbeam}}

[[Category:Betulaceae]]

Hornbeam - Revision history

Envoy at 11:26, 17 September 2007