Fagus longipetiolata
A Seemen
Cu cuong dai, Shui qing gang
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Aaron Liston, some rights reserved (CC BY)
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Eugene Popov, some rights reserved (CC BY)
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Eugene Popov, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Summary
Source: WikipediaA deciduous tree growing to 22 m tall with monoecious, wind-pollinated flowers appearing April to June, seeds ripening September to November. Frost tender. Prefers light sandy to medium loamy, well-drained soils with mildly acid to mildly alkaline pH. Succeeds in full shade, semi-shade, or no shade, and tolerates dry or moist soil conditions.
Description
A large deciduous forest. It grows 20-25 m tall. The trunk is 40-50 cm across. The leaf blade is oval and 9-15 cm long. The leaf stalk is 1-3.5 cm long The leaf blade is oval. It is finely hairy underneath. The base of the leaf is wedge shaped or rounded. There are teeth on the edges of the leaf. There are 9-15 secondary veins on each side of the midrib. The fruit stalk is 1-10 cm long. The fruit is an angled nut. It is in a cup 2-2.5 cm across.
Edible Uses
Young leaves can be eaten raw and have a very nice mild flavour, though they quickly turn tough, so only the youngest should be picked. New growth typically appears during two 3-week periods each year — once in spring and once in mid-summer. The seed can be eaten raw or cooked and is rich in oil, though it should not be consumed raw in large quantities. It can be dried and ground into a powder to blend with cereal flours for bread, cakes, and similar baked goods. An edible semi-drying oil is also pressed from the seed. The roasted seed makes a coffee substitute.
Traditional Uses
The seeds are edible. They contain 46% oil.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Known Hazards
Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, large quantities of the seed of many species in this genus are thought to be toxic.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in dense subtropical broad-leaved forests. It occurs between 1,000 and 2,000 m altitude. In China it is in broad leafed forest between 300 and 2400 m altitude.
Where It Grows
Asia, China, Indochina, SE Asia, Vietnam,
Cultivation
Thrives on a light or medium soil, doing well on chalk, but ill-adapted for heavy wet soils. Young trees are very shade tolerant, but are subject to frost damage so are best grown in a woodland position which will protect them. Although very cold hardy, this species requires hotter summers than are normally experienced in Britain so is not usually a success here and is very slow growing. Trees have surface-feeding roots and also cast a dense shade. This greatly inhibits the growth of other plants and, especially where a number of the trees are growing together, the ground beneath them is often almost devoid of vegetation.
Propagation
Seed viability is short, so sow as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a cold frame, protecting it from mice. Seeds germinate in spring. Once large enough to handle, prick seedlings into individual pots and grow on in a greenhouse through at least their first winter, then plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Seedlings are slow-growing in the early years and very susceptible to late frost damage. Seed can also be sown in an outdoor seedbed in autumn; seedlings may remain in the open ground for up to three years before transplanting, though they do best moved to their final positions as soon as possible with some protection from spring frosts.
Other Uses
An edible semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed.
Notes
There are 10 Fagus species.
Synonyms
References (4)
- Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 23(Beibl. 57):56. 1897
- Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, 1996, Vietnam Forest Trees. Agriculture Publishing House p 268
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Huang Chengjiu, Zhang Yongtian, Bartholomew, B., Fagaceae, Flora of China.
