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
Mast Stepping Mast Stepping In sailboating and shipbuilding, Mast Stepping is the process of raising the boat's mast. It also refers to a ceremonial occasion which occurs when the mast is stepped, towards the end of a ship's construction. The ceremony involves placing or welding one or more coins into the mast step of a ship, and is seen as an important ceremonial occasion in a ship's construction which is thought to bring good luck. Although the coins were originally placed under the main-mast of a ship, they are now generally welded under the radar mast or laid in the keel as