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Japanese Beech🌳
Fagus crenata
ブナ
A deciduous broadleaf tree endemic to Japan, distributed from southwestern Hokkaido to Kyushu. It forms pure stands (beech forests) in the cool-temperate montane zone, representing Japan's climax vegetation. The virgin beech forest of the Shirakami Mountains (Aomori/Akita) is registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The term 'Beech Zone culture' reflects how deeply this species is intertwined with the ecology and culture of heavy-snowfall regions. Its autumn golden foliage is also beautiful.
Identification Points
- ✓Leaves are ovate to elliptical with shallow, wavy serrate margins; turn yellow to brown in autumn
- ✓Bark is grayish-white and smooth (does not become scaly even in mature trees)
- ✓Fruit is a triangular nut (not acorn-shaped) enclosed in a spiny cupule
- ✓Produces vivid reddish-tinged fresh green leaves during spring leaf-out
- ✓Can grow into a large tree exceeding 30 m in height and 1 m in trunk diameter
Habitat
Forms pure stands in cool-temperate mountains at 500–1,500 m elevation, mainly in heavy-snowfall areas along the Sea of Japan side
Season
April–May (fresh green leaves/flowering), October–November (autumn foliage/fruiting)
3D Specimen Model
Kyushu University, Shikano Lab (CC0)
View on Sketchfab→Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf shape
Round
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Petal fusion
No petals
Flowering season
Autumn
Petal count
4 petals
Stipules
Present
Ovary position
Inferior
Stamen count
3-4
Phylogenetic Positionブナ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Fagales > Fagaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (approx. 90 million years ago onward)
Evolution Notes
Fagaceae originated in the Northern Hemisphere approximately 80 million years ago (Late Cretaceous) and is a major component of present-day Northern Hemisphere temperate deciduous forests. The genus Fagus persisted in Japan through ice ages and shaped its current distribution.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification