Nothofagus alpina

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fagales

Familia: Nothofagaceae
Genus: Nothofagus
Subgenus: Nothofagus subg. Lophozonia
Species: Nothofagus alpina
Name

Nothofagus alpina (Poepp. & Endl.) Oerst., Bidr. Egefam. 24. (1871)
Synonyms

Basionym
Fagus alpina Poepp. & Endl., Nov. Gen. Sp. Pl. 2: 69. (1838)
Homotypic
Lophozonia alpina (Poepp. & Endl.) Heenan & Smissen, Phytotaxa 146: 15. (2013)
Heterotypic
Fagus procera Poepp. & Endl., Nov. Gen. Sp. Pl. 2: 69. (1838), nom. illeg.
Fagus nervosa Phil., Linnaea 29: 43. (1858)
Nothofagus procera Oerst., Bidr. Egefam. 24. (1871)
Nothofagus nervosa (Phil.) Krasser, Ann. K. K. Naturhist. Hofmus. 11: 163. (1896)

References

Oersted, A.S. 1871. Bidrag til Kundskab om Egefamilien 24, et Kongel. Danske Vidensk. Selsk. Skr., Naturvidensk. Math. Afd. ser. 5, 9: 354, 1873.
Grant, M.L. & Clement, F.J. 2004. Clarification of the name Nothofagus alpina and a new epithet for a Nothofagus hybrid. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 146(4): 447-451. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00346.x Open access Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Nothofagus alpina in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Sept. 20. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Nothofagus alpina. Published online. Accessed: Apr. 4 2022.
Tropicos.org 2022. Nothofagus alpina. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 4 Apr. 2022.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Nothofagus alpina in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Vernacular names
dansk: Rauli
Deutsch: Rauli
English: Rauli
español: Raulí
日本語: ラウリ
lietuvių: Kvapusis notofagas
Runa Simi: Rawli

Nothofagus alpina, also called rauli[2] or raulí beech (in Mapuche language) is a species of plant in the Nothofagaceae family. A deciduous tree, it grows in Chile and Argentina, it reaches 50 m (160 ft) height and more than 2 meters (6.5 feet) in diameter. Its distribution goes from 35 to 42° South latitude. It is found on the Andes. It tolerates low temperatures and heavy winds. It has a straight and cylindrical trunk with grey bark. N. alpina was proposed to be renamed Lophozonia alpina in 2013.[3]

Description

Monoecious and leafy. Alternate leaves, petioles 3 to 12 mm long, oblong ovate to lanceolate ovate, with glands and hairs regularly distributed, undulate margins and softly serrated. Lamina 4 to 12 x 2,5 to 5 cm, pinnate veins, pilose and very notorious, mostly below the leaf, new borne green shoots pubescent with brown felt-like hairs.

Flowers little unisexual: male in clusters of 3 flowers, briefly pedicellate, numerous stamens, male flowers disposed in 3 inflorescences supported by a peduncle about 1 cm long.

Fruit made up by a cupule of 4 narrow valves, in its interior 2 to 3 little yellowish nuts 6 mm long, a little hairy, being the two lower triangular, tri-winged, and the flat internal, bi-winged.

Raulí wood is pinkish with brown-reddish color and has a very fine grain. It is relatively easy to work and of medium weight. It is used in furniture, barrels for very fine Chilean wines, doors, veneers, shingles and floors. It has been introduced as ornamental in Great Britain and it grows well in Western Scotland, where it gets the necessary rainfall for its good growth; minimum 750 mm (30 in). It is very promising as a forestry tree in Western Great Britain and regenerates easily after coppicing.[4]
Young tree
Frost hardiness study in Britain

Provenance sources from different places from its natural environment were tested in cultivation at the Bush estate in Scotland. Seedlots of Nothofagus alpina and Nothofagus obliqua were tested. The results of the testing in relation to the sources were reported as:

Ñuble in Chile. This was the most equatorial source and these seedlots proved to be the most susceptible to frost.
Neuquen in Argentina. These seedlots, as well as those gathered from mature trees growing in Britain with origins from Malleco in Chile were the most hardy. Overall, Nothofagus alpina performed better than Nothofagus obliqua.

Past temperature records for Britain suggest that seedlots run a high risk of suffering severe frost damage in all but mild coastal regions, and that spring and autumn frosts may be more damaging than winter frosts.[5][6]

Experimental plantations established in Wales suffered severe damage during the 1981–1982 cold wave that swept through Britain.[7]
Other locations

At Nautesund in Norway[8] where the extreme minimum annual temperature is -14 °C, combined with a south-facing exposure, good rainfall, and shelter from polar winds allow specimens of Rauli to grow.
Hybrids

Nothofagus alpina hybridises with Nothofagus obliqua to form the hybrid species Nothofagus × dodecaphleps.[3]

References and external links

Barstow, M. (2017). "Nothofagus alpina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T34628A67805949. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T34628A67805949.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
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.
Huxley. A. 1992 The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
M. B. Murray, M. G. R. Cannell, L. J. Sheppard and R. Lines. 1986. Frost Hardiness of Nothofagus procera (alpina) and Nothofagus obliqua in Britain. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Bush Estate Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland. Forestry Commission, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland.
"Frost Hardiness of Nothofagus procera and Nothofagus obliqua in Britain". Oxford Journals. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
Danby, N.P. (1991). "Nothofagus in Wales". Quarterly Journal of Forestry. LXXXV (2): 103–116.

"Rauli in Norway". GIT Forestry Consulting. Archived from the original on 2009-06-18. Retrieved 2009-06-27.

Donoso, C. 2005. Árboles nativos de Chile. Guía de reconocimiento. Edición 4. Marisa Cuneo Ediciones, Valdivia, Chile. 136p.
Hoffmann, Adriana. 1998. Flora Silvestre de Chile, Zona Central. Edición 4. Fundación Claudio Gay, Santiago. 254p.
Rodríguez, R. & Quezada, M. 2003. Fagaceae. En C. Marticorena y R. Rodríguez [eds.], Flora de Chile Vol. 2(2), pp 64–76. Universidad de Concepción, Concepción.
Bean. W. 1981 Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray.