C620: Nothofagus solanderi cliffortioides

County Champion
Tree C620
Accession number
C620
Botanical name
Nothofagus solanderi cliffortioides
Common name
MOUNTAIN BEECH
Distribution
NEW ZEALAND
Year planted
1993
Adoption
Adopted for
R Parkinson
About
About this tree

Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides, commonly called mountain beech is a species of Southern beech tree and is endemic to New Zealand. Mountain beech grows in mountainous regions at high altitudes. Mountain beech grows to around 20 metres (66 ft) 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.

Taxonomic note Nothofagus cliffortioides forms a cline with N. solandri and replaces it at higher altitudes and in the southern end of its range. For a long time N. cliffortioides was widely treated as a variety of N. solandri, and many trees in collections are still labelled thus, but the current account follows most contemporary New Zealand botanists such as R. D. Smissen (Smissen et al. 2014) and treats the two forms as separate species.

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6 Figure Grid SO504512

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