Southern beech (Nothofagus antarctica)
Appearance: Smaller tree shedding leaves for the winter, on average has about 10 m in height, rarely a little more, although in his homeland he reaches a height of up to 35 meters. Crown quite irregular, composed of twisted, straight erect branches.
The bark is initially smooth, then gently longitudinally cracked. Shoots reddish-brown or greenish-gray, sometimes also slightly frosted, densely, felted hairy. Ovoid-oblong buds, with a length of approx 6 mm, shiny or slightly frosted,
Ústé, much smaller than that of the domestic common beech, have only about 3 cm in length and more or less 2 cm wide, Oblong-oval, clearly rounded at the front and without a marked apex, they are cut off at the base or also slightly rounded. Clearly arranged in two rows. The edge of the leaf is slightly wavy and irregularly notched or lamellar. The upper surface of the leaf is dark green, shiny, sometimes it is also slightly wrinkled; bottom side – much brighter, matte or only slightly shiny. Petioles have about 3 mm in length; hence the leaves are almost sessile and placed one after the other, much denser than that of the domestic European beech, on shoots standing double-row like fish bones. Inconspicuous flowers, single or several in the leaf axils at the base of the side shoots. A fruit similar to a beech tree, but much smaller. A bowl with whole hulls, almost no tail, standing upright in the leaf axils, has approx 6 mm in length.
Occurrence: The Antarctic southern beech is widespread in the southern part of South America from southern Chile to Tierra del Fuego and is an important forest tree there.. In Europe, southern beech trees are very often and more often planted as ornamental trees in gardens – especially in the vicinity, where winters are mild. Flowering period: Maj.
General thoughts: Southern beech trees replace the genus Fagus in the southern hemisphere, to which our native common beech belongs. In total, the representatives of both types are quite similar, A useful hallmark in Nothofagus is usually quite small, short-stalked leaves. Including from the southern part of South America, from Australia and New Zealand it is known so far 17 different species, which are quite similar in terms of climatic requirements. Almost all species have been experimentally grown in forests in Great Britain and Ireland.