Flora of New Zealand Series

Fagus solandri Hook. f. Ic. Pl. 1844, t. 639.

Black beech.

Type locality: N.Z. Colenso, exact locality not determined. Type: K, Colenso 36.

Tree up to 25 m. tall; trunk up to 1 m. or more diam. Lvs coriac., 10-15 × 5-10 mm., on petioles 1-2 mm. long; lamina narrow-to elliptic-oblong, obtuse, obliquely cuneate at base, often apiculate; glab. or nearly so above, clad in dense greyish white tomentum below; venation us. distinct on both surfaces. Domatia absent. Staminate infls 1-4 per branchlet, on short sparsely pubescent peduncles; fls 1-2, sessile. Per. Broad-campanulate, 2 × 3 mm., shallowly obtusely 4-5-lobed; stamens 8-17, anthers 2-3 mm. long, dark red. Pistillate infls ovoid, 1-2 per branchlet, pubescent-pilose, sessile; fls 1-3. Lateral fls trimerous, terminal dimerous; stigmas clavate. Cupule 6-7 mm. long, glab. to pubescent, 3-partite. Nuts up to 7 mm. long; wings broad at base, narrowed to apex.

DIST.: N., S. Lowland and montane forest from lat. 38° to 44°, except Mount Egmont.

FL. 9-12. FT. 11-04.

Wood pinkish to yellowish, often with darker patches; bark of trunk rough, furrowed, very dark. Juvenile plants often of semi-divaricating habit with broadly ovate-oblong lvs 5-7 × 4-5 mm.