Atlas of Foliar Surface Features in Woody Plants, VIII. Fagus and Castanea (Fagaceae) of Eastern North America

Abstract

Department of Botany, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7612 HARDIN, J. W. AND G. P. JOHNSON (Dept. of Botany, N. C. State Univ., Raleigh, NC 276957612). Atlas of foliar surface features in woody plants, VIII. Fagus and Castanea (Fagaceae) of eastern North America. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 112: 11-20. 1985.-Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine foliar surfaces of Fagus grandifolia and the species of Castanea native in eastern North America. Six trichome types are recognized in this survey: simple, bulbous, solitary, acicular, fasciculate, and stellate. Fagus has the first four of these and exhibits seasonal as well as ecotypic and geographic variation in the density of the vestiture, but lacks a consistent qualitative difference correlated with the proposed races or infraspecific taxa. Castanea has all six trichome types and there are some differences in trichome complements and density that are taxonomically useful. There are two cuticular types represented plus the presence of epicuticular wax in some taxa.