Myrtle beech
| Myrtle beech | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Foliage with young growth | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Nothofagaceae |
| Genus: | Lophozonia |
| Species: | L. cunninghamii |
| Binomial name | |
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Lophozonia cunninghamii (Hook.f.) Heenan & Smissen |
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| Synonyms | |
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Nothofagus cunninghamii |
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Nothofagus cunninghamii
Fagus cunninghamii
Lophozonia cunninghamii, the myrtle beech, is an evergreen tree native to Tasmania and Victoria, Australia. It grows mainly in the temperate rainforests, but also grows in alpine areas. It is not related to the Myrtle family. It is often referred to as Tasmanian myrtle within the timber industry. L. cunninghamii was known as Nothofagus cunninghamii prior to 2013. The change in name from Nothofagus to Lophozonia is not as controversial as is made out (see Heenan & Smissen 2013).
These plants range from trees 30–40 m (98–131 ft) tall with large trunks to low-growing alpine shrubs less than 1 m tall. Maximum height is about 55 m (180 ft). The leaves are simple and alternate, growing 0.5–1.5 cm (0.2–0.6 in) long, and in Victoria up to 2 cm (0.8 in) long. The leaf color is dark green, with new growth brilliant red, pink or orange in spring. They are triangular with irregular minute teeth. The plants have separate male and female flowers on the same tree. These flower form inconspicuous clusters beside leaves near the tips of the branches. The fruit is small (about 6 mm (0.24 in)) and woody and contains three small winged nuts.
Occasionally one may see round, orange-like fruiting bodies of a fungus protruding from the trunk; this is Cyttaria gunnii.
It is an excellent cabinetry timber which is hard with strong, tough, close grain. It is a soft pink to reddish brown, often figured and can be polished to a fine . It is used for flooring, joinery, cogs of wheels, and furniture, and is good for steam bending, turnery and carving. It is harvested from old growth forest but the vast majority of the timber is left on the ground as it grows with the heavily harvested mountain ash. Dry Density 700 kg/m³.
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Wikipedia