Nothofagus pullei Steenis

A fairly large, finally often flat-topped tree, 20-50 m by 25-100 cm Ø, rarely (juvenile) smaller, or dwarfed to a 2-4 m high crooked shrub on ridges. Twigs in the typical form densely patent yellow-pubescent, but with gradations to minutely puber-ulous, also petiole and midrib underneath puber-ulous. Flush generally distinctly pale-dotted with scales underneath. Leaves small, coriaceous, smooth above and with recurved margin to flat and thinner and with prominent venation, broad-elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 1-4½ by ¾-2¾ cm; ridge on midrib about halfway; nerves c. 6 pairs; reticulation dense; petiole 1-3 mm. Stipules c. 4-5 by 2 mm, tardily caducous, attached at lower ⅓. ♂ Flowers solitary, perianth rather tubular 5-6 mm long; filaments c. 10-15, connation not emerging from the perianth; anthers 3-4 mm. ♀ Flowers sessile or 1 mm stalked, with a distinct style and often 2 mucronate shoulders. Cupule split to the base, with a single lamella, apical part often irregularly laciniate, narrow, elliptic, 2½-5 by 2 mm or shorter (3 by 1 mm), shorter and narrower than the nut at maturity only the lower part lignified and thick. Nut acute-orbicular to elliptic, 5-6 by 3½-5 mm.

Often gregarious or dominant, on ridges sometimes dwarfed down to a shrub of 2-4 m (type), (1650-1950-)2000-3000 m.SLEUMER & VINK found a single surviving small tree of 9 m in a pyrogenous fern-sedge vegetation near Angi Gigi (Arfak) at 2500 m. Reported also from steep limestone at Mt Lu (Kuara River Valley) and at Wabag.Frequently on ridges (Mt Hellwig, Edie Creek, Goroka, Nondugl) or crest of spur (Mt Otto), but also on slopes, often dominant, e.g. at Kaindi the principal dominant on the upper part of the mountain above the N. grandis zone (BRASS), on Mt Otto forming pure forest between 2630-2680 m on crest of spur (BRASS), at Nondugl gregarious on ridge at 1650 m, on Mt Giluwe dominant at 2500 m, and at Kepilam village at 2400 m; also dominant on Mt Hindenburg mainly on ridges, at Wabag dominant over large areas, sometimes in pure stands, at 2700 m, at Laiagam Distr. dominant at 2700 m, and further reported dominant at Habbema. From Wabag regeneration is reported under Castanopsis, but also dominance in large pure stands. Also in mixed forests with Litsea, Pandanus, Cinnamomum, Xanthomyrtus, Phyllo-cladus, Weinmannia, and Podocarpus. ♂ Fl mainly July-Aug., fr. mainly July-Aug., flush mainly July-Sept.

Uses. Obviously a valued timber tree appreciated by the Papuans. FRODIN reports it from the vicinity of Lei Camp on the SE. slope of Mt Ambua for local bridge construction; HOOGLAND & PULLEN reported from Mt Hagen, 2550 m, that it is planted along houses and creeks, and occasionally along the track from seedlings brought up from lower altitude; also at Chimbu planted in garden areas.