Zong mao zhui
Castanopsis tessellata
Family: Fagaceae
What it is like
A large evergreen tree. It grows 25-30 m tall. It is 50-60 cm across. The trunk is straight. Plant parts can be densely hairy. The leaf stalk is 1.5-3 cm long. The leaf blade is oblong and 15-30 cm long by 5-8 cm wide. They base can be wedge shaped. There are 16-22 side veins on each side of the midrib. The male flowers are arranged in spirals. The female flowers are crowded along the stalk. There can be 3 flowers per cup. The cup is 5-6 cm across. The outside is densely covered with spine like bracts. There are 2-3 nuts per cup. They are cone shaped. They are 1.5-1.8 cm long by 1.5-2 cm wide.
There are about 120 Castanopsis species. Many have edible nuts.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in tropical monsoon forest. It grows below 1000 m altitude. It can tolerate shade when young. In southern China it grows in broad leafed evergreen forest below 500 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Indochina, Laos, SE Asia, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The seeds contain edible starch.
Edible parts
Seeds, nuts
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Ca oi la da