NOTHOFAGUS 99 



introduced during the previous seventy years have disappeared, it would be 

 rash to conclude that the species is going to survive permanently. In the 

 south-western counties and similarly situated places it will almost certainly 

 be hardy, but elsewhere I am afraid there are potentialities in the English 

 climate that may be fatal to it. 



Few trees have greater elegance and distinction than this when it is young. 

 It makes unbrapched shoots as much as 3 ft. long in a season, furnished over 

 the whole length with small crumpled leaves to f in. apart. The habit is 

 thin and open. Increased by layers. 



N. BETULOIDES, Bluine. 

 (Fagus betuloides, Mirbel.} 



An evergreen tree of large size, and dense, very leafy habit ; young shoots 

 sticky, minutely dov/ny. Leaves set about J in. apart on the twigs, ovate, 

 wedge-shaped, or rounded at the base, pointed or blunt at the apex, minutely 

 and regularly toothed ; \ to I in. long, to f in. wide, smooth ; upper surface 

 dark varnished green ; lower surface paler, finely net-veined, often sprinkled 

 with minute dark glands ; stalk \ in. long. Flowers (male) produced in May ; 

 the calyx funnel-shaped, downy, many-lobed, in. long, enclosing numerous 

 stamens. Husk of fruit four-lobed. 



Native of S. America from Valdivia to Tierra del Fuego ; introduced in 

 1830, and again by Sir Joseph Hooker in 1843. It has since, no doubt, 

 several times been introduced, and has obtained a firmer foothold in Great 

 Britain than its close associate N. antarctica, although, judging by their 

 relative habitats the latter ought to be the hardier, seeing that it occurs at 

 higher elevations. There are several trees in the south and west of England 

 from 30 to 50 ft. high. The best I have seen near to London is in Mrs 

 Chambers' garden at Haslemere. For many years one grew in Mr A. Waterer's 

 nursery at Knap Hill, Woking. Perhaps as fine a tree as any is one at 

 Pencarrow, Cornwall ; this flowers, but does not give good seed. 



N. CLIFFORTIOIDES, Oerstedt. MOUNTAIN BEECH. 



"(Fagus cliff ortioides, Hooker fil.") 



An evergreen tree, becoming 50 ft. high in New Zealand ; young shoots 

 brownish, thin and wiry, covered with down. Leaves oval, oblong or ovate ; 

 j to ^ in. long, ^ to j in. wide ; set alternately and very regularly along the 

 branches, g to j in. apart, in two rows ; they are blunt or rounded at the apex, 

 obliquely rounded or broadly wedge-shaped at the base ; not toothed, smooth 

 on both surfaces, net-veined, with four or five pairs of distinct veins ; stalk 

 very downy, short. On adult trees the leaves are said to be downy beneath. 



Native of New Zealand. The largest trees in the country are at Enys in 

 Cornwall. A smaller one has long stood in Messrs Veitch's nursery at 

 Coombe Wood. The tree is essentially one for the milder parts of the 

 kingdom. From all the cultivated southern beeches, this is distinguished by- 

 its evergreen leaves being entire. It is sometimes offered as Fagus Solandri, 

 a different but 'nearly allied species, also from New Zealand. 



N. CUNNINGHAMI, Oerstedt. CUNNINGHAM'S BEECH. 

 (Fagus Cunninghami, Hooker fity 



An evergreen tree of large size, young shoots wiry, covered with short 

 dark down. Leaves ovate, approaching diamond-shape or often almost 



