''Nothofagus pumilio'', the lenga beech
(from the
Mapuche language
Mapuche ( , ; from 'land' and 'people', meaning 'the people of the land') or Mapudungun (from 'land' and 'speak, speech', meaning 'the speech of the land'; also spelled Mapuzugun and Mapudungu) is either a language isolate or member of the sm ...
), 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 or shrub in the
Nothofagaceae
''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 ...
family that is native to the southern
Andes
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
range, in the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina to
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South America, South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan.
The archipelago consists of the main is ...
, from 35° to 56° South latitude. This tree is in the same genus as the
coihue. It regenerates easily after fires. The
wood
Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
is of good quality, moderate durability, and is easy to work with. It is used in furniture, shingles and construction and sometimes as a substitute for American
black cherry in the manufacturing of cabinets.
Description
In southern
Patagonia
Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
it grows to a height of up to 30 m (100 ft), and attains a trunk diameter of 1.5 m (5 ft). In more northern regions it grows only at heights above 1000 meters (3300 ft) in the form of a shrub. 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 dark green, elliptic toothed and 2–4 cm long, with irregularly lobed margins, and turn to yellow and reddish tones in autumn. The
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
is a small
nut 4–7 mm long.
Occurrence
The lenga beech can be found in the
Torres del Paine National Park,
Tierra del Fuego National Park,
Los Alerces National Park and
Nahuel Huapi National Park among other places. In its southerly range it occurs in dense stands as far south as
Navarino Island
Navarino Island () is a large Chilean island, with an area of and a coastline of . It is located between Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, to the north, and Cape Horn, to the south. The island forms part of the Communes of Chile, Commune of Cabo ...
.
[C. Michael Hogan, 2008] It grows in areas with low temperatures and abundant snow; therefore, in the north half of its distribution it is found only in the
Andes
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
Range and at sea level on its southernmost natural environment. It tolerates temperatures −30 °C (−22 °F) and lower, and frosts all seasons of the year.
Gallery
File:Lenga beech (Nothofagus pumilio) summer leaves.jpg, Summer leaves, Cerro Castillo reserve
File:BosqLenga1.jpg, Lenga forest, Aysén Region, Chile
File:Picada al Frey 048.jpg, Fall lenga leaves, Cerro Catedral, Bariloche, Argentina
Line notes
*
C. Donoso. 2005. Árboles nativos de Chile. Guía de reconocimiento. Edición 4. Marisa Cuneo Ediciones,
Valdivia, Chile
Valdivia (; Mapuche language, Mapuche: Ainil) is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune in Southern Chile, southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its Organizational founder, ...
. 136p.
*
Adriana Hoffmann. 1998. Flora Silvestre de Chile, Zona Central. Edición 4. Fundación Claudio Gay, Santiago. 254p.
*C. Michael Hogan. 200
''Bahia Wulaia Dome Middens'', Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham*Rodríguez, R. & Quezada, M. 2003. Fagaceae. En C. Marticorena y R. Rodríguez
ds. Flora de Chile Vol. 2(2), pp 64–76. Universidad de Concepción, Concepción.
*
*
References
External links
*
''Nothofagus pumilio'': notes by S. Teillier for a course in Systematic Botany, Universidad Central de Santiago de Chile(Spanish)
Nothofagaceae
Flora of central Chile
Flora of southern Chile
Flora of South Argentina
Trees of mild maritime climate
Trees of subpolar oceanic climate
Garden plants of South America
Ornamental trees
Fagales of Argentina
Fagales of Chile
{{Fagales-stub