''Nothofagus obliqua'', commonly known as Patagonian oak, ''roble'', ''pellín'', ''roble pellín'', and ''hualle'' in its early state of growth or roble beech, is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

tree from

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. It grows from 33 to 43° south latitude. The northern extent of this tree's range in Chile is considered to be the Vizcachas Mountains and

La Campana National Park La Campana National Park is located in the Cordillera de la Costa, Quillota Province, in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. La Campana National Park and the Vizcachas Mountains lie northwest of Santiago. This national park covers approximately a ...

. ''N. obliqua'' was proposed to be renamed ''Lophozonia obliqua'' in 2013.

Description

Nothofagus obliqua.jpg, The Patagonian Oak is a montane species Nothofagus obliqua Shoot LeavesCupules.jpg, A shoot with leaves and cupules ''Nothofagus obliqua'' reaches a height of 50 meters (175 ft) and 2 m (6.5 ft) diameter. The trunk has greyish-brown to dark brown bark and is often forked. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are alternate and somewhat curled between the veins and the serrated margin. The trees bear separate male and female

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

, both of which are small, surrounded by green

bracts In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

, and rather inconspicuous. In Chile, young specimens (which have soft, yellowish wood) are known as ''roble hualle'', while old trees, which have developed the reddish heartwood characteristic of mature specimens are known as ''roble pellín''. The tree has a good shape and its timber is valued for its durability, being used for furniture-making and in construction.

Cultivation

The tree was introduced to the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

in 1849. Material with provenance from different places in its natural environment was tested in cultivation in Scotland. Trees cultivated from material collected from Ñuble, which is the provenance closest to the Equator, were the most damaged by frosts. Unfortunately seeds of that provenance were supplied to many commercial growers in the 1970s in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Seeds sourced from Neuquen in Argentina proved the hardiest. A selection from Malleco, Chile, which is the provenance of the first trees planted in the British Isles also gave good hardiness results. It has also been planted on the North Pacific Coast of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Experimental plantations established in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

suffered severe damage during the 1981–1982 cold wave that swept through Britain.

Subspecies

There are two recognised subspecies of ''N. obliqua''. These are: * ''Nothofagus obliqua'' subsp. ''andina'' (F.M.Vazquez & R.A.Rodr.) * ''Nothofagus obliqua'' subsp. ''valdiviana'' (Phil.) Heenan & Smissen. ''

Nothofagus macrocarpa ''Nothofagus macrocarpa'', commonly known as roble de Santiago or Santiago's oak, is a deciduous tree in the Nothofagaceae family that is endemic to the mountains of central Chile. It is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of ''Nothofagus obliqua ...

'' was once also considered a subspecies, as ''Fagus obliqua'' var. ''macrocarpa''.

Hybrids

* ''Nothofagus obliqua'' hybridises with ''

Nothofagus alpina ''Nothofagus alpina'', also called rauli or raulí beech (in Mapuche language) is a species of plant in the Nothofagaceae family. A deciduous tree, it grows in Chile and Argentina, it reaches 50 m (160 ft) height and more than 2 meters ...

'' to form the hybrid species ''Nothofagus × dodecaphleps''.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q1486147, from2=Q42747116 Nothofagaceae Flora of southern South America Trees of mild maritime climate Garden plants of South America Ornamental trees