Chinese chinkapin, Mao li, Rough chestnut
Castanea seguinii

Family: Fagaceae

What it is like

It is a shrub or small tree. It grows to 12 m tall. The leafy structure near the leaves in narrow and 0.7-1.5 cm long. It falls off. The leaf stalk is 0.5-1.5 cm long. The leaf blade is oval and 6-14 cm long. There are yellow-brown scales underneath the leaf. The young leaves are also slightly hairy near the veins. The base is rounded, but wedge shaped when young. There are coarse teeth along the edge. The male flower is 5-12 cm long. The female flowers can occur singly or a few in a group. The cup is 3-5 cm across. It is covered with spine like bracts. There are 2-3 nuts per cup and they are 1.5-2 cm across.

All Castanea bear edible nuts. There are about 12 Castanea species. It is a cultivated plant.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in mixed forest as well as planted in orchards between 400-2000 m altitude in China. It is best i light to medium well-drained soils. It needs an open sunny position. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

It is a cultivated food plant.

Edible parts

Seeds, nuts

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. Seedlings need transplanting very early. They can also be grown by layering.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Castanea davidii Dode;