Fagaceae

Fagaceae (Beech family)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fagales Family: Fagaceae
Genera
Fagus (the beeches)   Castanea (the chestnuts)   Castaneopsis[?]   Quercus (the oaks)   Lithocarpus[?] (the tanbarks)

The family Fagaceae, or beech family, is characterized by alternate, entire leaves with pinnate venation, flowers in the form of catkins[?], and fruit in the form of nuts, either one or two in a scale or spiny husk that may or may not enclose the nut. The best-known group of this family is the oaks, genus Quercus, the fruit of which is called an acorn. The husk of the acorn in most oaks only forms a cap on the nut.

This family is closely allied with the Betulaceae, the birch family.