Tawhairauriki
Common name: Black beech or Mountain beech
Botanical name: Nothofagus solandri var. solandri (Black beech) or Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides (Mountain beech)
The Black beech is a tall forest tree that grows up to 25 metres tall, with a trunk up to 1 metre across. The leaves are dark green and small, only 10 - 15 mms long and 5 – 10 mm wide. Maori gave both the Black beech and closely related Mountain beech (they are two varieties of the same species) the same name. The main visible difference is that the mountain beech leaves have pointed tips, whereas the black beech leaves have rounded tips. The mountain beech is also a smaller tree and only grows up to 15 metres tall.
Black beech foliage
Mountain beech foliage
Tawhairauriki trees bear male and female flowers on the same tree, which differ. The male flowers have bright red stamens and in some years and on some trees can be borne in such large numbers that the tree is imparted with a red glow when seen from a distance. The female flowers are tiny and insignificant.
The Black beech grows from sea level to 750 metres from southern Waikato and East Cape southwards in the North Island and throughout the South Island. The Mountain beech can grow from sea level to 1200 metres and ranges from the volcanic plateau to Southland.
The tree at GZ is a Mountain beech, though you will need binoculars to inspect the leaves to be able confirm that for yourself.
The Tawhairauriki at GZ
The cache
The cache is a 400 ml Sistema and at time of placement contained a log sheet and a sun charm. Please cover carefully as you found it after signing the log, to prevent it from being muggled: the tree is rather close to a picnic spot.