Carpinus betulus

Deciduous tree up to 25 m tall, with greyish bark. The trunk is grooved or undulating, as if it were muscular, and the young twigs are hairy. The leaves somewhat resemble the shape of Gothic arches, similar to those of the beech, with which this tree is sometimes confused, but they appear to be wrinkled up by the veins. They are 4-10 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, alternate, oval or rounded and have a pointed tip. Both female and male flowers are borne in spring, in separate hanging groups. The pollen of the male flowers is dispersed by the wind. The fruits are nuts in the form of tiny grooved pears that do not open when ripe (achenes). They develop in hanging clusters with three-lobed bracts (modified leaves), where the central lobe is longer than the lateral lobes. This also facilitates their dispersion by the wind.