Nothofagus gunnii

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Eudicots > Rosids  > Fabids  >  Fagales > Nothofagus  gunni

Other links:     

Plant  information

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:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothofagus_gunnii (2023)