Abstract

The genus Nothofagus is the only representative of the Nothofagaceae. It comprises 36 species distributed in disjunct territories of the southern hemisphere: southern South America, New Zealand, East Australia, New Caledonia and New Guinea. This southern distribution pattern, together with the rich fossil record that is also found in Antarctica, sustains the status of the genus as a "key genus" in plant geography. The evolution of the genus is discussed, confronting different visions, and. integrating the phylogeny of related genera, such as the fungi species of the genus Cyttaria.