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Nothofagus truncata
Nothofagus truncata, or hard beech (Māori: tawhairaunui), is a species of tree endemic to New Zealand. Its common name derives from the fact that the timber has a high silica content, making it tough and difficult to saw. 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. 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. N. truncata became known as Fuscospora truncata after 2013 in New Zealand.
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.
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. The wood has a fine straight grain and even texture and is used for joinery, flooring, decking and cabinet making.
Nothofagus aequilateralis · Nothofagus alessandrii · Rauli · Antarctic Beech · Nothofagus balansae · Nothofagus baumanniae · Nothofagus beardmorensis · Magellan's Beech · Nothofagus brassii · Nothofagus carrii · Mountain Beech · Nothofagus codonandra
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Nothofagus truncata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
