Castanopsis kawakamii

Hayata

Green hook castanopsis

Fagaceae Edible: Fruit, Nuts 269 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Castanopsis kawakamii is a species of plant in the family Fagaceae. It is found in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description

An evergreen tree. It grows 30-40 m high. The trunk is 1-1.5 m across. The young shoots are reddish brown. The leaf stalk is 1-2.5 cm long. The leaf blade is oval to sword shaped. It is 6-12 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. Leaves become leathery with age. The base of the leaf is wedge shaped or rounded and unequal on each side of the midrib. The tip is heart shaped. There are 9-12 veins on each side of the midrib. The female flower arrangement is 5-10 cm across. The cup is 6-8 cm across and splits into 4 or 5 segments as it matures. The fruit is a nut. It is 1.7-2.1 cm across. It has dense orange brown hairs.

Edible Uses

The fruit or nuts are edible raw.

Traditional Uses

The fruit or nut is edible raw.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows between 800-1,000 m altitude. Seedlings demand light.

Where It Grows

Asia, China, Indochina, SE Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam,

Production

It grows quickly when young.

Notes

There are about 120 Castanopsis species. Many have edible nuts.

Synonyms

Castanopsis greenii ChunCastanopsis oerstedii Hickel & A. Camus

Also Known As

Ca oi qua to, Diao pi zhui

References (3)

Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, 1996, Vietnam Forest Trees. Agriculture Publishing House p 262
Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 345
J. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo 30(1):300. 1911