Castanopsis megacarpa

Family: Fagaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 36 m high. The trunk is 90 cm across. The bark is smooth but can have shallow cracks. The leaves are thick and leathery. They are smooth and shiny above. There are some brown hairs underneath. The leaves are narrowly oval and 20-24 cm long by 8 cm wide. Male and female flowers are separate. The male flowering stalks are 8-14 cm long and the flowers are in clusters of 3. The female flowering stalks are 9-12 cm long and the flowers occur singly. The fruit cup does not have a stalk and is rounded or oval. It is 5-8 cm high and 3-6 cm wide. It is hairy and spiny. There is one nut in each cup. It is rounded and 3-8 cm long by 3-5 cm wide.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows up to 1,400 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Nuts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Berangan babi, Berangan duri, Berangan gajah, Kertak bilek, Sebilek

Synonyms

Castanopsis javanica Hook.f.;