#2394 - Nothofagus solandri - New Zealand Black Beech
AKA Nothofagus solandri var. solandri or Fuscospora solandri.
An endemic evergreen tree growing to 27 m tall. Found on both the North and the South Island at low elevations up to the mountains. Widespread on ridges in inland Taranaki.
Black beech gets that name because of a sooty mold which covers the trunk and branches. I'll discuss that more when I get to the St. Arnaud section of the trip, where it's a vital part of the ecosystem.
Black beech is known to hybridise freely with mountain beech (Nothofagus cliffortioides) where the two species co-exist, although Mountain beech generally grows at higher elevations. It also hybridises with hard beech (Nothofagus truncata) to form the hybrid species Nothofagus × apiculata, and with red beech (Nothofagus fusca) to form the hybrid species Nothofagus × dubia.
Whangamōmona Saddle, Inland Taranaki, New Zealand
