De yen the
Castanopsis boisii

Family: Fagaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It grows 15-20 m high. The trunk is straight. The branches are long, dry and brittle and curve downwards. The leaves are hairy underneath with scale like processes. The leaf stalk is 1.5-2 cm long. The leaf blade is oval or oblong. It is 9-18 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. It is thickly papery. There are 13-17 side veins on each side. The female flowering stalk is 27 cm long. The cup is oval and 2.5-3 cm across. The outside is hairy. There is one or occasionally 2 nuts per cup. They are oval and 1.2-1.4 cm long by 0.9-1.2 cm wide.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows on low hills below 300-400 m altitude. It is light demanding. They grow in broad leafed evergreen forest between 1000-1500 m altitude in Southern China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Indochina, SE Asia, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The seeds can be eaten.

Edible parts

Nuts

How it is grown

It is a fast growing tree.

Its other names

Local names

De an qua, Lan qiao zhui

Synonyms

Castanopsis hamata Duanmu; Castanopsis megaphylla Hu 1948 not 1940;