''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 Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

tree from

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

and

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. 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 The Vizcachas Mountains is a mountain range northwest of Santiago, in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile. It is part of the Chilean Coast Ranges System. La Campana National Park Part of the Vizcachas Range was incorporated into a protected ar ...

and

La Campana National Park La Campana National Park is 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 and is ...

. ''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 (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

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

flowers Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

, both of which are small, surrounded by green

bracts In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also loo ...

, 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 an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, 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 Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. 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 (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Experimental plantations established in

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

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

Hybrids

* ''Nothofagus obliqua'' hybridises with ''

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

'' to form the hybrid species ''Nothofagus × dodecaphleps''., and with ''

Nothofagus glauca ''Nothofagus glauca'', commonly known as hualo or roble Maulino, is a species of plant in the family Nothofagaceae. It is a deciduous tree endemic to Chile. It grows from 34° to 37° South latitude. It is a typical tree of the maritime mediterr ...

'' to create the interspecific hybrid ''Nothofagus'' × ''leoni''.''Nothofagus x leoni'' Espinosa
''

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

''. Accessed 20 April 2023.

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control Nothofagaceae Flora of southern South America Trees of mild maritime climate Garden plants of South America Ornamental trees Flora of the Valdivian temperate forests