Hu nan shan he tao, Hunan hickory
Carya hunanensis
Family: Juglandaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows to 14 m tall. The end buds are naked and rusty brown. The leaves are 20-30 cm long. The leaf stalk is 4-8 cm long. There are 7-9 leaflets. They are 11-18 cm long by 3.5-7 cm wide. The nuts are oval and 3-3.7 cm long by 2.3-3 cm wide. The husk is winged to the middle. The shell has 4 faint ridges along it.
It is cultivated for edible nuts and pressed for oil. There are about 14-25 Carya species.
Where it is found
It grows in valleys and riverbanks between 900-1000 m altitude in southern China. Trees have been recorded growing in soils with a pH from 4.5 to 8.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
Nut are eaten fresh or fried. They are also pressed for edible oil.
It is a cultivated food plant.
Edible parts
Nuts, nut - oil
How it is grown
Tree usually start bearing after 10 years. They can continue to produce for 200 years. Yields of 300 kg /tree are possible.