''Nothofagus solandri'' var. ''cliffortioides'', commonly called mountain beech ( mi, tawhai rauriki), is a species of

Southern beech ''Nothofagus'', also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 43 species of trees and shrubs native to the Southern Hemisphere in southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Gui ...

tree and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Mountain beech grows in mountainous regions at high altitudes. In New Zealand the taxon is called ''Fuscospora cliffortioides''. ''Nothofagus solandri'' var. ''cliffortioides'' occupies a wider range of habitat than any other New Zealand tree species and it shows a corresponding range of life form, seeding habits, regenerative patterns, growth habits, growth rates, stand replacement and mortality patterns. Mountain beech grows to around but near the treeline forms a "goblin forest" where the trees are no more than tall. It also has leaves that are elongated and have a pointed end.

Hybrids

* Mountain beech is known to hybridise with black beech (''

Nothofagus solandri ''Nothofagus solandri'' var. ''solandri'', commonly called black beech, is a variety of the tree species ''Nothofagus solandri'', endemic to New Zealand. Black beech occurs on both the North and the South Island at low altitudes up to the mounta ...

'' var. ''solandri'') where the two species co-exist, and in some places the hybrids may form complex introgressive hybrid swarms. * Mountain beech also hybridises with red beech (''

Nothofagus fusca ''Nothofagus fusca'', commonly known as red beech (Māori: tawhai raunui) is a species of southern beech, endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs on both the North Island and South Island. Generally it is found on lower hills and inland valley fl ...

'') to form the hybrid species ''Nothofagus × blairii''.

References

External links

University of Waikato: ''Nothofagus''
Nothofagaceae Endemic flora of New Zealand Trees of New Zealand Garden plants of New Zealand Ornamental trees {{NewZealand-plant-stub