Silver Beech

Description

Nothofagus menziesii, commonly known as silver beech (Māori: tawhai, tahina), is a tree of the southern beech family endemic to New Zealand. Its common name probably comes from the fact that its bark is whitish in colour, particularly in younger specimens. It is found from Thames southwards in the North Island (except Mount Taranaki/Egmont),and throughout the South Island. Silver beech is a forest tree up to 30 m tall. The trunk, which is often buttressed, may be up to 2 m in diameter. The leaves are small, thick and almost round in shape, 6 to 15 mm long and 5 to 15 mm wide with rounded teeth which usually occur in pairs, 1 or 2 hair fringed domatia are found on the underside of each leaf. Its Māori name is tāwhai. It grows from low altitudes to the mountains. Nothofagus menziesii was proposed to be renamed Lophozonia menziesii in 2013. Alongside mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides), silver beech is the most widely distributed beech taxon in New Zealand. Predominantly found in cold wet forests from the Bay of Plenty to the bottom of the South Island. No beeches are present on Stewart Island. In the South Island its geographical range extends from sea level to the treeline, while in the North Island they are restricted mainly to montane and subalpine forests on ranges and central volcanoes. Silver beech forests generally dominate wetter regions in the South Island within Fiordland and Southland.