Story: Native plants and animals – overview
Black beech (Nothofagus solandri) has small red flowers. It blooms in early summer, but only about every three years. The Nothofagus family has been represented in New Zealand for 85 million years (since the land broke away from the supercontinent, Gondwana). But both fossil finds and DNA research show that present-day southern beech species are much younger, having evolved from an ancestor that arrived in New Zealand about 30–40 million years ago.
About this item
Natural Sciences Image Library of New Zealand
Reference: Di0225LC2t
© Landcare Research
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
