HORNBEAM (horn + beam, AS. beam. OHG. Loma, Ger. Baum. tree; connected ultimately with Gk. lieu., phyein, to grow, Skt. thil, to become), Curpinus. A genus of the natural order Cupulifera, which consists of trees with com pact, rough, hard wood, almost smooth whitish gray bark. deciduous leaves, and momecious dowers. The common hornbeam ( Carpinus bet u has). very frequent in moderately moist, shady woods of many parts of Europe, is a beautiful tree which attains a height of 00 to 100 feet. It has ovate, acuminate, almost triply serrate leaves, and the fruit has very large, deeply three-partite bracts. Its root descends deep into the ground. The wood, which is much used by carpenters and wheelwrights. is white, very hard. uncommonly strong and tough, and therefore suitable for bear ing heavy strains. It takes a very tine polish, and, when well stained, might readily be mis taken for ebony. In the earth, or where exposed to the change, of the weather, it is not very durable. It burns readily, and is one of the
best kinds of firewood; it affords an excellent charcoal, and the ashes yield much pota-h. The young stems, by reason of the dense growth of their twigs, are very suitable for forming live fences and bowers; and a- it bears clipping well, the hornbeam was often employed to form live walls formerly fashionable. The genus is repre sented in North America by Carpinus ..tmerieamt, a small tree 25 to 40 feet high. wide]] occurs from Quebec to Florida and west to :Minnesota and Texas. Its wood is very hard, dense, and heavy, and is one of the toughest woods of the Northern States. It is known as hornbeam, blue beech, water-beech, and ironwood. The hop-hornbeam (Ostrga Virginiana) is of much the same habit, range. and properties. It is of slow growth and is seldom planted. although a very ornamental tree. This tree is also known as ironwood and leverwood.