| Magellan's beech | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Nothofagaceae |
| Genus: | Nothofagus |
| Subgenus: | Nothofagussubg. Nothofagus |
| Species: | N. betuloides |
| Binomial name | |
| Nothofagus betuloides | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Nothofagus betuloides,Magellan's beech[1] orguindo, is a tree native to southernPatagonia.
In 1769,Sir Joseph Banks collected a specimen of the tree inTierra del Fuego duringCaptain Cook'sfirst voyage.[3]
Its occurrence onHornos Island earns it the distinction of being the southernmost tree on Earth.[4]
Nothofagus betuloides grows from southernChile and southernArgentina (40°S) to Tierra del Fuego (56°S). It is found from sea level to 500 m (1,600 ft) above mean sea level. One specimen growing near the southeastern corner ofHornos Island (Cape Horn) was identified in 2019 as the southernmost tree in the world.[4]
It is an evergreen tree up to 30 m (98 ft) tall, with a branching reaching appearance. In its natural Patagonian environment, it tolerates cold winters and thrives in the absence of heat, but it is not tolerant of persistent freezing. In the exposed sites of its southerly coastal or Andean distribution, the species grows as a wind formed shrub.
Nothofagus betuloides has been cultivated inScotland and theFaroe 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.[5]
The wood has beautiful marks, and is pinkish, hard, and semiheavy; it is used in furniture and construction.
