Lenga Beech
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 Nothofagus pumilio
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| Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser [1] |
The Lenga Beech or lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) is a deciduous tree or shrub native to the centre area of the Andes range, in the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina down to Tierra del Fuego. In southern Patagonia it grows to a height of up to 30 m, and a trunk diameter of 1.5 m. In more northern regions it grows only at heights above 1000 meters in from of a shrub. The leaves are 2–4 cm long, with irregularly lobed margin, and turn to yellow and reddish tones in autumn. The fruit is a small nut 4–7 mm long.
It can be found in the Valdivian temperate rain forests, the Torres del Paine National Park, the Tierra del Fuego National Park, the Los Alerces National Park and the Nahuel Huapi National Park among other places. It belongs to the same genus as the coihue.
The wood is used in construction and sometimes as a substitute for American Black Cherry in the manufacturing of cabinets.
[edit] External links
- Nothofagus pumilio in Encyclopedia of the Chilean Flora (Spanish)
- Universidad Central de Santiago de Chile (Spanish)
- Nothofagus pumilio in Chilebosque (Spanish)
- Nothofagus pumilio in Argentine flora
