Nothofagus gunnii
Deciduous Beech
Deciduous Beech
Wikipedia links: Angiosperms > Eudicots > Rosids > Fabids > Fagales > Nothofagus gunni
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Common name: Deciduous Beech
Also, Tanglefoot
Conservation status: Not endangered
Tanglefoot forests cannot survive fire, and must re-establish from neighbouring areas.
They are very sensitive to changed conditions due to their slow growth
Under 100 km2 of forest remain
Etymology:
Nothofagus - from the Greek nothos, meaning false and fagus, referring to the original belief that this genus was related to Northern Hemisphere Beech (Fagus) trees
It was described in 1847 by R.C Gunn
Flowers:
The plant has separate male and female flowers that can occur on the same tree
Both male and female flowers are small and inconspicuous
Fruit:
The fruit is small (about 6 mm wide) and woody, and contains three small nuts, two of which have three small wings and one with two wings
In most years seed production is poor, but once in a while a 'mast' crop occurs with high germination
The seeds have a very short viability
Leaves:
The leaves are alternate, simple and ovate, with rounded teeth on the margins and are attached by short petioles
Leaf lamina is generally <20mm in length and shows a distinct "concertina" shape derived from the way that the developing leaf is folded in the bud
The leaves are almost circular in shape with deep veins which end in the gaps between the rounded teeth on the leaf
The leaves are deciduous, with an average lifespan of around 7-8 months
They are bright green, turning yellow -then sometimes brilliant red, in autumn
Stem & branches:
Roots:
Habit:
A tangled shrub or small tree which may grow up to 8 m tall
It is most common as a thick shrub or woody ground cover
Its growth habit is heavily dependent on the exposure of the site
Habitat:
It lives only on mountains due to temperature limitations within the Tasmanian maritime climate and mainly grows at altitudes greater than 800 m
It grows in alpine and sub-alpine regions in the central portions of the island
Distribution:
Endemic to Tasmania, and is restricted to high altitude and relatively high rainfall areas with no recent fire activity
It was discovered at the summit of Mount Olympus in central Tasmania,
It is also known at several locations within the Mount Field National Park and on Cradle Mountain
Additional notes:
This species is the only native deciduous tree species in Tasmania, and the only cold-climate winter-deciduous tree species in Australia
Taxonomy
It was described in 1847 by R.C Gunn
Joseph Dalton Hooker described the tanglefoot beech
The species was renamed as Fuscospora gunnii by New Zealand scientists; the change in name is controversial, and it is not necessary to accept this change
Evolution
It is considered a paleoendemic species to Tasmania
Macrofossils of this species have been discovered within Oligocene sediments in Tasmania
Identification
It is easily separated from the other Tasmanian species from the same genus, Nothofagus cunninghamii, by the crinkled appearance of the leaf lamina
Cultivation
It requires around 1,800 mm of rain spread throughout the year to be cultivated, cool temperatures not below -10 °C and also requires full sun
It grows in deep peaty soils
It is best grown from fresh seed collected in a 'mass' year, germinating in a few weeks
It is believed that a beneficial mycorrhyzal fungus is required for the long-term success of the plant
Cuttings can be struck, taken in late winter before bud burst.
It is rarely seen in cultivation due to its poor performance and slow growth
It is believed to be a candidate plant for bonsai
Ecology
Nothofagus gunnii exists only in alpine and sub-alpine environments on mountains within Tasmania
The species is generally limited to heights above 800 m due to the temperature and relatively short snow lie duration within the Tasmanian oceanic climate
It may live as a dominant low shrubby tree on open, generally sloping, rocky ground
Habitation is severely limited by fire regimes as it is fire sensitive and can only survive very low intensity fires
Local extinctions of the species have been attributed to fire in the Denison Range
Despite its limited range, the species is not listed as endangered
Reproduction
Very few data are recorded about reproduction
It may be assumed that seeds are wind dispersed and that the species are mass seeders as is displayed in similar species such as Nothofagus cunninghamii, which is wind-pollinated
Sources of information: