Kingdom Plantae Family Nothofagaceae Scientific name Nothofagus alpina Rank Species | Order Fagales Genus Lophozonia Higher classification Nothofagus | |
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Similar Nothofagus dombeyi, Lophozonia obliqua, Nothofagus, Nothofagus pumilio, Nothofagus antarctica | ||
Lophozonia alpina, also called rauli or raulí beech (in Mapuche language) is a species of plant in the Fagaceae family. A deciduous tree, it grows in Chile and Argentina, it reaches 50 m (160 ft) height and more than 2 meters (6.5 feet) in diameter. Its distribution goes from 35 to 42° South latitude. It is found on the Andes. It tolerates low temperatures and heavy winds. It has a straight and cylindrical trunk with grey bark. L. alpina was known as Nothofagus alpina prior to 2013.
Contents
Monoecious and leafy. Alternate leaves, peduncles in 3 to 12 mm long, oblong ovate to lanceolate ovate, with glands and hairs regularly distributed, undulate margins and softly serrated. Lamina in 4 to 12 x 2,5 to 5 cm, pinate veins, pilose and very notorious, mostly below the leaf, new borne twigs pubescent.
Flowers little unisexual: male in clusters of 3 flowers, briefly pedicelate, numerous stamens, male flowers disposed in 3 inflorescences supported by a peduncle in 1 cm long.
Fruit made up by a cupule of 4 narrow valves, in its interior 2 to 3 little yellowish nuts 6 mm long, a little hairy, being the two lower triangular, tri-winged, and the flat internal, bi-winged.
Raulí wood is pinkish with brown-reddish color and has a very fine grain. It is relatively easy to work and of medium weight. It is used in furniture, barrels for very fine Chilean wines, doors, veneers, shingles and floors. It has been introduced as ornamental in Great Britain and it grows well in Western Scotland, where it gets the necessary rainfall for its good growth; minimum 750 mm (30 in). It is very promising as a forestry tree in Western Great Britain and regenerates easily after coppicing.
Frost hardiness study in Britain
Provenance sources from different places from its natural environment were tested in cultivation at the Bush estate in Scotland. Seedlots of Lophozonia (then Nothofagus) alpina and Lophozonia (then Nothofagus) obliqua were tested. The results of the testing in relation to the sources were reported as:
Past temperature records for Britain suggest that seedlots run a high risk of suffering severe frost damage in all but mild coastal regions, and that spring and autumn frosts may be more damaging than winter frosts. The Lophozonia alpine's leaves grow down towards the ground.
Other locations
At Nautesund in Norway where the extreme minimum annual temperature is -14°C, combined with a south-facing exposure, good rainfall, and shelter from polar winds allow specimens of Rauli to grow.