Nothofagus fusca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nothofagus fusca |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Tree | |
 |
|
| Foliage | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Nothofagus
|
| Species: |
fusca
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Fuscospora fusca (Hook.f.) Heenan & Smissen |
|
Nothofagus fusca, also known as red beech (or Māori: tawhai raunui), is a type of southern beech tree. It is found only in New Zealand, growing on both the North Island and South Island. You can usually find these trees on lower hills and in valleys where the soil is rich and drains well. In New Zealand, this tree is also called Fuscospora fusca.
Red beech is an evergreen tree, meaning it keeps its leaves all year round. It can grow very tall, up to 35 meters (about 115 feet). Its leaves are shaped like broad ovals, about 2 to 4 centimeters long and 1.5 to 3 centimeters wide. They have a special double-toothed edge, with two small teeth on each lobe. The tree also produces a small fruit that looks like a tiny cup, holding three seeds inside.
Scientists have found pollen from red beech trees near the Antarctic Peninsula. This shows that these trees grew in Antarctica a very, very long time ago, during a period called the Eocene (about 56 to 34 million years ago). Today, the red beech tree is not considered to be in danger.
How We Use Red Beech
Red beech is special because it is one of the only plants known to have a unique natural chemical called nothofagin. This compound is also found in rooibos tea.
Special Wood
The wood from the red beech tree is very strong and lasts a long time. It is known as the most durable wood among all the New Zealand beech trees. Because it is so strong, it was often used for flooring in many homes and buildings across New Zealand. When dried properly, the timber is very stable and does not change shape easily. On average, red beech wood weighs about 630 kilograms per cubic meter when it has 12 percent moisture.
Grown for Beauty
Red beech is also grown as an ornamental tree because of its beautiful leaf shape. An ornamental tree is one grown just for its looks, like in a garden or park. It grows well in places with a mild oceanic climate, which means the weather is not too hot or too cold. You can find red beech trees planted in Scotland and along the Pacific Coast of the United States.
Red Beech Hybrids
Sometimes, two different types of trees can mix their genes to create a new kind of tree called a hybrid. Red beech trees can form hybrids with other beech species:
- Red beech can mix with mountain beech (Nothofagus cliffortioides). This creates a hybrid species called Nothofagus ×blairii.
- It can also mix with black beech (Nothofagus solandri). This forms the hybrid species Nothofagus ×dubia.
- Red beech can even mix with the ruil tree (Nothofagus alessandri), which comes from Chile. This creates the hybrid species Nothofagus ×eugenananus.
See also
In Spanish: Haya roja de Nueva Zelanda para niños
