Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Nothofagus menziesii Oerst. (Silver beech)

Nomenclature etc. FAGACEAE. Syn.: Fagus menziesii Hook. f. Trade and local names: Silver "Beech", Southland "Beech" (NZ).

Tree. Geographic distribution: New Zealand.

General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically red to brown (pinkish to reddish brown). Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour, or distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.44–0.48–0.52 g/cm³.

Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Vessel outline rounded, or angular. Perforation plates simple or scalariform (rarely scalariform). Intervessel pits scalariform to opposite (mostly opposite). Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular or horizontal to vertical (rarely extended, then horizontal), restricted to marginal rows. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.

Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 6–8.

Rays. Rays multiseriate, also if only few, 1–2 cells wide (in some specimens predominantly uniseriate, on others predominantly biseriate). Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions rarely present. Rays composed of two or more cell types. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1 (rarely two marginal rows).

Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.


Cite this publication as: H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz (2000 onwards). 'Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval.' In English, French, German, and Spanish. Version: 4th May 2000. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/.

Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993 onwards, 1995 onwards, 1998) should also be cited (see General references).

Index