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Nothofagus fusca

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The red beech is a special tree from New Zealand.

People also call it tawhai raunui in the Māori language. It is an evergreen tree. This means its leaves stay green all year. This tree grows on the North Island and the South Island. It likes to live on lower hills. It also grows on valley floors with fertile soil.

This tree has a very specific way it grows. The leaves are broad and shaped like an oval. Each leaf is 2 to 4 cm long. They are also 1.5 to 3 cm wide. The edges of the leaves have double teeth. Each lobe has two small teeth on it. The tree produces a small fruit called a cupule. This tiny cup holds three seeds inside.

Scientists have found clues about the tree's past. They found pollen near the Antarctic Peninsula. This shows the tree used to grow in Antarctica. This happened during the Eocene period. The red beech is also a very unique plant. It is one of only two known plants with a substance called nothofagin. The other plant is called rooibos.

Red beech is a very useful tree for many reasons. Its wood is the most durable of all New Zealand beeches. The timber is very stable when it is dried. Because of this, people use it for flooring. In New Zealand, the wood density is 630 kilograms per cubic metre. This measurement is for a 12 percent moisture level.

This tree can also mix with other types of trees. When it mixes with mountain beech, it makes Nothofagus ×blairii. It makes Nothofagus ×dubia when it mixes with black beech. It even makes Nothofagus ×eugenananus with a ruil tree from Chile.

People also plant it in gardens for its looks. You can find these trees in Scotland. They also grow on the North Coast of the United States.

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File:Red Beech flooring, Nelson, NZ.jpg
Red Beech flooring, Nelson, NZ.jpg
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