Fagaceae
Fls unisexual, small; ♂ in spikes, per. with 4-6 imbricate lobes, stamens few to ∞; ♀ solitary, surrounded by an involucre of imbricate scales; ovary inferior, 3-6-celled, with as many styles; ovules 2 per cell, one us. aborting. Fr. a nut enclosed in the often hardened involucre. Trees or shrubs with simple, alt., stipulate lvs, of temperate and sub-tropical regions except Africa.
