The genus Carpinus is represented by about 30 species which grow in the New World [1] and Eurasia [30]. Carpinus is the classical Latin name.
Carpinus betulus avenbok, carpe, carpe blanco, carpen, carpino biannco, charme, charme commun, charme comun, charrlle, charrlle commun, common hornbeam, dyed hornbeam, European hornbeam, gemeine-weib-buche, gem weissbuche, gewone haagbeuk, grab, gyertyan, haagbeuk, habr obecny, hagabuche, hage-buche, hainbuche, hojaranzo, hornbaum, hornbeam, horn-buche, steinbuch, vitavenbok, vit-bok, weissbuche, witch elm
Carpinus caroliniana American hornbeam, blue beech, broomwood, hophornbeam, ironwood, musclewood, o-tan-tahr-te-weh, smoothbark ironwood, water beech
Carpinus carpinoides hornbeam, kuma-shide
Carpinus caucasia caucasian hornbeam
Carpinus cordata ggachibagdal, Russian hornbeam, sawashiba
Carpinus distegocarpus kuma-shide
Carpinus hebestroma taroko-sidi
Carpinus japonica kuma-shide, soya
Carpinus laxiflora aka-shide, hornbeam, seo-namu, soro shide
Carpinus orientalis carpinella, charme d’orient, eastern hornbeam, hojaranzo, oosterse haagbeuk, oriental hornbeam, orientalisk avenbok
Carpinus polyneura Chinese hornbeam
Carpinus pubescens giau do
Carpinus rankanensis rankan-side
Carpinus schuschaensis Iran hornbeam
Carpinus seki Taiwan-akashide
Carpinus tschonoskii gaeseo-namu, inu-shide, Korean hornbeam
Distribution: North America, from central Maine to southern Quebec, southern Ontario, northern Iowa, Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, and east to central Florida. Northeastern Mexico (Tamaulipas) and from southern Mexico to Guatemala and Honduras.
The Tree: The American hornbeam is a small tree
that can reach a height of 13–26 ft
(4–8 m), with a diameter of 4–12 inches (10–30
cm) that grows in mixed deciduous forests in the shade of taller
hardwoods in bottom lands and river margins. It grows in association
with oaks, sweetgum, hickories, maple and basswood. The tree grows
slowly and is short lived. It masts every 3 to 5 years, producing
large amounts of seed. Imperfect flowers are produced on separate
catkins on the same tree.
General Wood Characteristics: The tree's name (horn=tough and beam~baum=tree) describes the wood, which is tough, hard and heavy. Colonial settlers in America used hornbeam for bowls and dishes because it rarely split or cracked. Hornbeam has a thick, nearly white sapwood and a heartwood that is pale yellow to tan. It has no characteristic odor or taste. The wood is heavy and hard.
Weighta
Weight
Moisture Specific lb/ft3 kg/m3
content gravity
Green 0.58 53 849
12% 0.70 49 785
Ovendry 0.72 NA NA
aReference (59).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property Green Dry
MOE 0.99 106 6.826 GPa 1.08 106 7.447 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 6.8 103 46.886 MPa 12.2 103 84.119 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 2.67 103 18.410 MPa 5.68 103 39.164 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.73 103 5.033 MPa 2.00 103 13.790 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 19.1 131.695 37.1 255.805
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
Hardness 940 lbf 4181.12 N 1,780 lbf 7917.44 N
Shear| | 1.16 103 7.998 MPa 2.41 103 16.616 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (59).
Drying and shrinkagea,b
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final moisture
content)
Type of 0% MC 6% MC 12% MC
shrinkage
Tangential 11.4 NA 7
Radial 5.7 NA 5
Volumetric 19.1 NA NA
a Hornbeam checks and warps severely in
seasoning.
References: 0% MC, (59); 12% MC, (31).
bData are for 0% and 6% MC, C.
caroliana; 12% MC,
C. betulus.
Kiln Drying Schedule: British Schedule E (31).
Working Properties: Hornbeam is difficult to work.
Durability: The wood is nonresistant to heartwood decay.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Tool handles, levers, parts for farm machinery, fuel wood.
Toxicity: The wood is said to have irritant effects (64).
Additional Reading: 29, 55, 68, 74. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.