Nothofagus betuloides explained

Nothofagus betuloides, Magellan's beech or guindo, is a tree native to southern Patagonia.

In 1769, Sir Joseph Banks collected a specimen of the tree in Tierra del Fuego during Captain Cook's first voyage.^[1]

Its occurrence on Hornos Island earns it the distinction of being the southernmost tree on Earth.^[2]

Distribution

Nothofagus betuloides grows from southern Chile and southern Argentina (40°S) to Tierra del Fuego (56°S). It is found from sea level to 500m (1,600feet) above mean sea level. One specimen growing near the southeastern corner of Hornos Island (Cape Horn) was identified in 2019 as the southernmost tree in the world.

Description

It is an evergreen tree up to 25m (82feet) tall, with a columnar appearance. In its natural environment, it tolerates cold winters and absence of heat in summer. Specimens from the southern forests resist temperatures down to .

Cultivation

Nothofagus betuloides has been cultivated in Scotland and the Faroe Islands, and has grown well there. Trees planted in the Faroe Islands, which were imported directly from its southernmost distribution in Tierra del Fuego, have turned out to be very hardy.^[3]

The wood has beautiful marks, and is pinkish, hard, and semiheavy; it is used in furniture and construction.

References

• Donoso, C. 2005. Árboles nativos de Chile. Guía de reconocimiento. Edición 4. Marisa Cuneo Ediciones, Valdivia, Chile. 136p.
• Hoffmann, Adriana. 1998. Flora Silvestre de Chile, Zona Central. Edición 4. Fundación Claudio Gay, Santiago. 254p.
• Rodríguez, R. & Quezada, M. 2003. Fagaceae. En C. Marticorena y R. Rodríguez [eds.], Flora de Chile Vol. 2(2), pp 64–76. Universidad de Concepción, Concepción.
• Encyclopedia: Nothofagus betuloides. Encyclopedia of Chilean Flora . 2009-06-27.
• Web site: Magellan's beech. Chilebosque . 2009-06-27.
• Web site: Nothofagus betuloides in the Netherlands. PlantenTuin Esveld . 2009-06-27.

Notes and References

1. Kew gardens, or A popular guide to the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew by Sir W.J. Hooker
2. News: Welch. Craig. The tree at the bottom of the world—and the wind-blasted trek to find it. https://web.archive.org/web/20200707165711/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/07/journey-to-the-worlds-southernmost-tree/. dead. July 7, 2020. National Geographic. July 2020. July 13, 2020.
3. Højgaard, A., J. Jóhansen, and S. Ødum (eds) 1989. A century of tree planting in the Faroe Islands. Føroya Fróðskaparfelag, Tórshavn.