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
Beech bark disease second type of scale insect, "Xylococcus betulae", which is non-host-specific, is native to North America and causes beech bark disease to a lesser degree than "Cryptococcus fagisuga". There are two fungi common to North America that are important to the beech bark disease process. They are "Neonectria faginata" and "Neonectria ditissima". The primary fungus is "N. faginata", though "N. ditissima" is very important in some areas. These fungi infect the tree through the wounds caused by the beech scale insect and then begin to produce spores. Spores are contained in perithecia, which are red, lemon-shaped fruiting bodies that form in