Beech cupules. The husk can have a variety of spine- to scale-like appendages, the character of which is, in addition to leaf shape, one of the primary ways beeches are differentiated. The nuts are edible, though bitter (though not nearly as bitter as acorns) with a high tannin content, and are called beechnuts or beechmast. The name of the tree (Latin "fagus", whence the species name; cognate with English "beech") is of Indo-European origin, and played an important role in early debates on the geographical origins of the Indo-European people. Greek φηγός is from the same root, but the word was
Natural beech wood forest type is able to sustain and replace itself on its own - i.e. if the climatic and geological conditions for a given forest type are present or not. These conditions can be objectively determined, and does not depend on the "test of time" exclusively. The term "semi-natural" is sometimes used to describe any natural woodland, that is not strictly primeval in origin. Natural beech wood Natural beech wood is a beech wood, that is able to replenish and sustain itself on its own. Beech is a valued timber, but most beech woods requires human intervention to replace old trees,