Story: Southern beech forest

Foliage

Foliage

Beech species can be readily identified by their leaves. Red and hard beech are the largest – about 2 centimetres long. Red beech (Nothofagus fusca) leaves have deeply notched toothed edges, like saw teeth. Hard beech (N. truncata) leaves have blunt teeth. Silver beech (N. menziesii) leaves are small and carry double notches with each tooth. Black beech (N. solandri) leaves are untoothed and oblong in its lowland form, and triangular in the mountain beech subspecies.

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How to cite this page:

Joanna Orwin, 'Southern beech forest - Southern beeches', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/diagram/13300/foliage (accessed 26 April 2024)

Story by Joanna Orwin, published 24 Sep 2007