Silk chestnut, Monkey chestnut
Castanopsis platyacantha
Family: Fagaceae
What it is like
An evergreen tree. It grows 16 m tall. The trunk can be 1.2 m across. The leaves are narrowly oval and 8-16 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. There can be some teeth above the middle. Male and female flowers are separate. Male ones are in spikes that occur singly and are 4-16 cm long. Female flowers also occur singly and are 7-11 cm long. Between 2-4 fruit develop. The nuts are rounded and flattened.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in western China.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
The nuts are eaten raw.
Edible parts
Nuts