thanx. so what exactly should I look for when it comes to IDing hornbeam vs beech? how can I make sure? any specific features? I know about seeds, but what about bark and leaves?
I usually check the leaves first. The leaves of Fagus sylvatica have almost entire margins, sometimes shallowly lobed, rarely with a few big, irregular teeth: http://www.flogaus-faust.de/e/fagusyl6.htm http://www.flogaus-faust.de/e/fagusylv.htm Carpinus betulus leave edges have lots of teeth in two sets - longer teeth and shorter teeth, which are repeated in a fairly regular manner: http://www.flogaus-faust.de/e/carpbetu.htm http://www.flogaus-faust.de/e/carpbet2.htm The fruits look very different as well, of course, as you can see on some of my images.
If you have no fruits, and no leaves, then the "chinese whiskers" is an excellent feature to ID a Fagus sylvatica bark... (You can see it on your photo too!!!) "chinese whiskers" are oval-shaped creases in the bark surrounding the initially circular, later elliptical and gradually disappearing hidden knots in trees with smooth bark.
