Nothofagus nitida
Encyclopedia
Nothofagus nitida is an evergreen
tree, native from Chile
and probably Argentina
, it lives from 40° to Última Esperanza
(53°S).
Leaves are alternate between 1.5 and 3 cm, they are hard, glossy green, with a small petiole
and lanceolate shape. The new borne twigs have little hairs.
Male flowers have a unique verticil with 6–10 stamens and are surrounded by tepals (sepal
s and petal
s just the same). Female flowers are grouped five by five, and pollination is mainly anemophilous
. The flower
s are homochlamyd, small (3 to 5 mm), unisexual, arranged in inflorescence
s.
Its fruit
s are small, flattened or triangular, yellowish in cupule
s made up by 2 to 7 units.
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
tree, native from Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and probably Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, it lives from 40° to Última Esperanza
Última Esperanza Province
Última Esperanza Province is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena . The capital is Puerto Natales...
(53°S).
Description
Up to 35 m (115 ft) height and 2 m (6.5 ft) diameter. The bark is gray. It prefers very wet soils.Leaves are alternate between 1.5 and 3 cm, they are hard, glossy green, with a small petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
and lanceolate shape. The new borne twigs have little hairs.
Male flowers have a unique verticil with 6–10 stamens and are surrounded by tepals (sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s just the same). Female flowers are grouped five by five, and pollination is mainly anemophilous
Anemophily
Anemophily or wind pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by wind. Anemophilous plants may be either gymnosperms or angiosperms ....
. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are homochlamyd, small (3 to 5 mm), unisexual, arranged in inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s.
Its fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s are small, flattened or triangular, yellowish in cupule
Cupule
The calybium and the cupule make up the accessory fruit of flowering plants in the family Fagaceae. These two parts derive from different flower components....
s made up by 2 to 7 units.