Nothofagus truncata

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. Fuscospora
Species: Nothofagus truncata
Name

Nothofagus truncata (Colenso) Cockayne, Bull New Zealand State Forest. Serv. No. 4, Pt. 1.: 21 (1926).
Synonyms

Basionym
Fagus truncata Colenso, Trans. & Proc New Zealand Inst. 31: 280 (1899).
Homotypic
Fuscospora truncata (Colenso) Heenan & Smissen, Phytotaxa 146: 14 (2013).
Heterotypic
Fagus fusca var. colensoi Hook.f., Fl. Nov.-Zel. 1: 229. (1853)
Nothofagus fusca var. colensoi (Hook.f.) Cheeseman, Man New Zealand Fl.: 641. (1906)

Note: many New Zealand botanists prefer to use Fuscospora truncata (Colenso) Heenan & Smissen, (2013).
References

Cockayne, L.C. 1926 New Zealand Sate Forestry Services No. 4 Pt 1 21.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Nothofagus truncata in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Feb. 6. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Nothofagus truncata. Published online. Accessed: Feb. 6 2019.

Additional references

Cameron, E.K. 1997. Distribution of beech in the Waitakere Ranges. Auckland Botanical Society Journal 52(2): 68–72. PDF Reference page.
Haase, P. 1990. Nothofagus truncata (hard beech) in the upper Taramakau catchment, South Island, New Zealand New Zealand Journal of Ecology 14: 31–35. Abstract and full article (PDF)
Haase, P. 1992. Isozyme variability and biogeography of Nothofagus truncata (Fagaceae) New Zealand Journal of Botany 30(3): 315–328.DOI: 10.1080/0028825x.1992.10412910
Heenan, P.B. & Smissen, R.D. 2013. Revised circumscription of Nothofagus and recognition of the segregate genera Fuscospora, Lophozonia, and Trisyngyne (Nothofagaceae). Phytotaxa 146(1): 1–31. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.146.1.1 Reference page.
Rogan, D. 1999. New northern limit for hard beech Nothofagus truncata. Auckland Botanical Society Journal 54(1): 1. PDF Reference page.

Vernacular names
English: Hard Beech
Māori: Hututāwhai

Nothofagus truncata, or hard beech (Māori: tawhai raunui), is a species of tree endemic to New Zealand.[1] Its common name derives from the fact that the timber has a high silica content, making it tough and difficult to saw.[2] Hard beech is a tree up to 30m tall occurring in lowland and lower montane forest from latitude 35°S to 42°30'S, that is, from the north of the North Island southwards to Marlborough and south Westland in the South Island.[3] In Taranaki it forms almost pure stands on the rugged sandstone country there and is partially deciduous, dropping many of its leaves at the end of the winter.[4] N. truncata became known as Fuscospora truncata after 2013 in New Zealand.[5]

Ecology

The understorey of forests populated by N. truncata may contain a variety of ferns and other understory vegetation; characteristic understory elements may include crown fern and drooping spleenwort.[3]
Morphology

The coriaceous, hairless broadly ovate leaves range from 2.5 to 4 cm (1.0 to 1.6 in) long, and have from eight to twelve pairs of coarse, blunt teeth. The slate to dark grey bark is thick and furrowed. The tiny red male flowers are bell-shaped and produced in large numbers while the female flowers, which are green tipped with brown, are in groups of three on short stalks growing in the axils of the leaves.[4]
Uses

The bark of Nothofagus truncata has a high tannin content and has traditionally been used for tanning leather. The timber is red when freshly cut but turns pale brown as it dries. It has been used for bridge building and for making poles, fencing posts and railway sleepers.[4] The wood has a fine straight grain and even texture and is used for joinery, flooring, decking and cabinet making.[6]
Hybrids

Hard beech hybridises with black beech (Nothofagus solandri) to form the hybrid species Nothofagus × apiculata.[5]

Notes

John Dawson and R. Lucas. 2000. The Nature Guide to the New Zealand Forest, Godwit Publishing
Flora of New Zealand. 2007. Nothofagus truncata. Accessed 2010-10-04.
C. Michael Hogan. 2009. Crown Fern: Blechnum discolor', Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, URL:Nothofagus truncata. Accessed 2010-10-04.

References

Flora of New Zealand. 2007
John Dawson and R. Lucas. 2000
C. Michael Hogan. 2009
Fuscospora truncata (Hard Beech) TERRAIN
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.
Hard beech: Nothofagus truncata Farm Forestry Timbers