Lophozonia menziesii
Common name
silver beech
Synonyms
Fagus menziesii Hook. f., Nothofagus menziesii (Hook.f.) Oerst.
Family
Nothofagaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
NOTMEN
Chromosome number
2n = 26
Current conservation status
The threat classification status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Very common forest canopy tree with silvery bark and bearing rough-edged small leathery leaves arranged along the twig. Leaves almost as wide as long, 6-15mm long, with uneven blunt teeth on margin and with small hairy pits at the junction of the veins. Flowers and fruits inconspicuous, but colour tree.
Distribution
North and South Islands - from latitude 37° southwards, except Mount Egmont.
Habitat
Lowland to montane forest or as shrub in subalpine scrub
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland).
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Features
Tree up to 30 metres tall; trunk up to 2 metres diameter, often buttressed; branchlet-pubescence fulvous. Leaves thick, coriaceous, rigid; 6-15 × 5-15 mm., on petioles 2-3 mm. long; lamina glabrous except on veins below, broad-to deltoid-ovate to suborbicular, doubly crenate, cuneate at base; venation rather obscure; fringed domatia 1-2 in basal vein-axils. Staminate inflorescences 1-4 per branchlet; peduncles 2-3 mm. long, sparsely pubescent, with 1 terminal flower. Perianth 5-6 mm. diameter, of 2 unequal lobes, each again 2-3-partite. Stamens 30-36; anthers 2-3 mm. long, red above, greenish below, or straw coloured. Pistillate inflorescences 1-4 per branchlet, 3-(2)-flowered, on short densely pubescent peduncles. Lateral flowers trimerous, terminal dimerous or aborted; stigmas ligulate. Cupule 6-7 mm. long, 4-segmented, with 4-5 rows of gland-tipped processes, subtended by 2 foliaceous bracts. Nuts puberulous, 5 mm. long; lateral triquetrous, 3-winged; terminal flat, 2-winged; wings produced above, gland-tipped.
Flowering
November - January
Flower colours
Green, Red/Pink
Fruiting
January - March
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Allan (1961).
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer. pg. 398.
Heenan, P.B.; Smissen, R.D. 2013: Revised circumscription of Nothofagus and recognition of the segregate genera Fucospora, Lophozonia, and Trisyngyne (Nothofagaceae). Phytotaxa 146: 1-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.146.1.1