''Nothofagus cliffortioides'', commonly called mountain beech (), 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, found across southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Guin ...

tree and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. Mountain beech grows in mountainous regions at high elevations. In New Zealand the taxon is called ''Fuscospora cliffortioides''. ''Nothofagus 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.

Ecology

Mountain beech is eaten by the mountain beech flat moth ('' Proteodes carnifex''), and is a host plant for the lichens '' Yarrumia colensoi'' and '' Podostictina degelii'', and the fungi '' Annulohypoxylon bovei'' and '' Rossbeevera pachydermis''.

Hybrids

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

Nothofagus solandri ''Nothofagus solandri'', commonly known as black beech, is species of tree endemic to New Zealand. Black beech occurs on both the North and the South Island at low elevations up to the mountains. It is also known as ''Nothofagus solandri'' var. ...

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

References

External links

University of Waikato: ''Nothofagus''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q82308663, from2=Q7062949, from3=Q42742885 Nothofagaceae Endemic flora of New Zealand Trees of New Zealand Garden plants of New Zealand Ornamental trees