Wa shan zhui
Castanopsis ceratacantha

Family: Fagaceae

What it is like

A small evergreen tree. It grows 10-15 m tall. The trunk is 25-30 cm across. The leaf blade is sword shaped. It is 10-18 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. It is papery. There are hairs on young plant parts. The leaves are velvety brown underneath. There are 13-17 side veins on each side of the main vein. The female flower stalks occur in clusters. They grow on new branches. There are 2-3 flowers per cup. This is about 3 cm across. The nuts are 1 or 2 per cup and are cone shaped. They are 1.5-1.8 cm long by 1.4-1.8 cm wide. They are hairy.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows from 800 to 1500 m altitude. In China it grows in mixed and broad-leaved evergreen forest between 1500-2500 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Indochina, Laos, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The nut is eaten.

The fruit is sold in markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, nuts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ko moog

Synonyms

Castanopsis chuniana W.P.Fang; Castanopsis ceracantha var. semiserrata Hick. et A. Camus; Castanopsis semiserrata Hickel & A. Camus;