Nothofagus cliffortioides

Nothofagus cliffortioides, commonly called mountain beech (Māori: tawhai rauriki), is a species of Southern beech tree and is endemic to New Zealand. Mountain beech grows in mountainous regions at high elevations. In New Zealand the taxon is called Fuscospora cliffortioides.[3][4] Nothofagus cliffortioides occupies a wider range of habitat than any other New Zealand tree species and it shows a corresponding range of life form, seeding habits, regenerative patterns, growth habits, growth rates, stand replacement and mortality patterns.[5]

Nothofagus cliffortioides
Mountain beech trees
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Nothofagaceae
Genus: Nothofagus
Subgenus: Nothofagus subg. Fuscospora
Species:
N. cliffortioides
Binomial name
Nothofagus cliffortioides
Synonyms[2]
  • Fagus cliffortioides Hook.f. (1844)
  • Fuscospora cliffortioides (Hook.f.) Heenan & Smissen (2013)
  • Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides (Hook.f.) Poole (1963)

Mountain beech grows to around 20 metres (66 ft)[6] but near the treeline forms a "goblin forest" where the trees are no more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall. It also has leaves that are elongated and have a pointed end.

Ecology

Mountain beech is eaten by the mountain beech flat moth (Proteodes carnifex), and is a host plant for the lichens Yarrumia colensoi and Podostictina degelii, and the fungi Annulohypoxylon bovei Rossbeevera pachydermis.[7]

Hybrids
  • Mountain beech is known to hybridise with black beech (Nothofagus solandri) where the two species co-exist, and in some places the hybrids may form complex introgressive hybrid swarms.[8]
  • Mountain beech also hybridises with red beech (Nothofagus fusca) to form the hybrid species Nothofagus × blairii.[3]

References
  1. Baldwin, H., Barstow, M. & Rivers, M.C. 2018. Nothofagus cliffortioides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T96477403A96479960. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T96477403A96479960.en. Accessed 21 April 2023.
  2. Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook.f.) Oerst. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  3. Heenan, Peter B.; Smissen, Rob D. (2013). "Revised circumscription of Nothofagus and recognition of the segregate genera Fuscospora, Lophozonia, and Trisyngyne (Nothofagaceae)". Phytotaxa. 146 (1): 131. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.146.1.1. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  4. "Fuscospora cliffortioides (Hook.f.) Heenan & Smissen". Flora of New Zealand. Landcare Research 2010-2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  5. John Wardle (1969). Ecology of Nothofagus solandri (Black beech and mountain beech). University of Canterbury. Botany. OCLC 706454567.
  6. "Mountain Beech Height". Details of our range of Beech variety. Southern Woods Nursery Ltd.
  7. Hogan, C. Michael (ed.). "Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook. fil.) Oerst". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  8. "Fuscospora cliffortioides". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
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