Nothofagus truncata
Encyclopedia
Nothofagus truncata or Hard Beech is a species of tree endemic to New Zealand. Its common name derives from the fact that its wood
has a high silica content, making it hard and difficult to saw. Hard Beech is a tree up to 30m tall occurring in lowland and lower montane forest from lat. 35°S to 42°30'S, that is, from the north of the North Island
to Marlborough and south Westland
in the South Island
. The understory
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.
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
has a high silica content, making it hard and difficult to saw. Hard Beech is a tree up to 30m tall occurring in lowland and lower montane forest from lat. 35°S to 42°30'S, that is, from the north of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
to Marlborough and south Westland
Westland District
Westland District is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. Its population is - Government :The Westland District is governed by an elected Council, headed by an elected Mayor. The Mayor is elected at large. The current Mayor is Maureen Pugh. Councillors are...
in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. The understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
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.