FAGUS CLIFFORTIOIDES, Hook. f. 
THE MOUNTAIN-BEECH, 
Omprer— OC ban IF Ee RAS. 
(Plates CI. and Cla.) 
FAGUS CLIFFORTIOIDES, in common with the other New Zealand species of 
Fagus, is perversely termed ‘ birch’’ by the bushman, who prefixes the adjec- 
tive ‘* black.’”’ if he looks at the dark bark of an old tree, or ‘‘ white” if he has 
before him the pale bark of a young tree; but, as a general rule, he makes no 
attempt to distinguish it from f°. Solandm, which it resembles in general appear- 
ance. I propose the name of mountain-beech as a substitute for the unmeaning 
“white-birch,”’ ‘‘ black-birch,’’ &c. Mr. Colenso informed me that it bears the 
same Maori name as f*. Solandri—‘‘ tawai-rau-riki.”’ 
It was discovered in 1791 by Dr. Menzies, surgeon to Vancouver's expedi- 
tion, in Dusky Bay, but was not described until 1844, when it was figured by Sir 
William Hooker in ‘‘ Icones Plantarum :’”’ drawings and description of the fruit 
were not given until a much later date. 
Except in very favourable situations it rarely exceeds 4ott. or 50ft. in 
height: in narrow mountain-valleys at an altitude of 3,o0oft. it is often not more 
than 6ft. or 8ft. high, and in exposed positions it is dwarfed into a flat-topped 
bush, Except in the extreme south-western corner of the South Island it is 
confined to the mountains, rarely descending below 2,o0oft., but forming the 
chief portion of the forest up to 4,o00ft. 
Isolated specimens when growing in the open at elevations between 2,000ft. 
and 3,o0oft. are often branched from the base, and form symmetrical trees of 
great beauty, giving a peculiar park-like character to the scenery. 
The branchlets and leaves are arranged in two rows, the branchlets being 
clothed with short hairs. On young plants the leaves are rounded, membranous, 
and green on both surfaces: on old trees they are of thick texture, closely dotted 
above, and white with appressed hairs beneath, from ;J5in. to Zin. long, rounded 
unequally at the base and narrowed to a point at the apex: they are carried on 
very short petioles. The male flowers are solitary, and resemble those of F. 
Solandri, but are smaller. The female flowers are very small, the involucral cup 
consisting of three lobes, each with two or three narrow transverse bands: the 
wings of the nuts are less prominent than those of the entire-leaved beech. 
The contrast between the small-leaved alpine forms and luxuriant states 
from lower levels is very striking ; but their identity 1 is readily determined by an 
examination of the fruit or Poser. This species is closely allied to F. Solandri, 
from which it is best distinguished by the oblong-ovate, acute, or sub-acute 
leaves, which are rounded at the base. 
PROPERTIES AND USEs. 
The wood of the mountain-beech bears a close resemblance to that of the 
entire-leaved beech, Fagus Solandri, but is of smaller dimensions : it equals that 
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