Nothofagus_menziesii
Nothofagus menziesii
Species of tree
Nothofagus menziesii, commonly known as silver beech (Māori: tawhai, tahina), is a tree of the southern beech family endemic to New Zealand. Its common name probably comes from the fact that its bark is whitish in colour, particularly in younger specimens.[2] It is found from Thames southwards in the North Island (except Mount Taranaki/Egmont),[3] and throughout the South Island. Silver beech is a forest tree up to 30 m tall. The trunk, which is often buttressed, may be up to 2 m in diameter.[2][4] The leaves are small, thick and almost round in shape, 6 to 15 mm long and 5 to 15 mm wide with rounded teeth which usually occur in pairs,[2] 1 or 2 hair fringed domatia are found on the underside of each leaf.[2][3] Its Māori name is tawhai. It grows from low altitudes to the mountains. Nothofagus menziesii was proposed to be renamed Lophozonia menziesii in 2013.[5]