274 Golden-Leaf Chinquapin 



the burs are yellowish green, globular, 5 to 7 cm. in diameter and very densely 

 covered with numerous stiff spines; internally they are coated with soft, silky, 

 brownish hairs and enclose 2 or 3, rarely 5 nuts, or only i; the nuts are ovoid, 2 

 to 2.5 cm. long, usually flattened on one side, bright brown, broadly scarred at 

 the base and finely hairy at the apex; seed sweet and delicious. The burs open 

 spontaneously on the tree after several severe frosts, when the nuts are shaken 

 out by the lightest breeze ; they are largely gathered from native trees in the moun- 

 tainous districts and shipped to the cities, where they are eagerly consumed, usually 

 after roasting. The nuts vary greatly in size and quality on different trees. 



The wood is soft, weak, very coarse-grained, yellowish brown; its specific 

 gravity is about 0.45. It is very durable in the soil, sphts easily, and is much used 

 for fencing and for building. It is also rich in tannic acid and has been used in 

 tanner)'. The leaves are an imaginary specific for whooping cough. 



Its rapid growth and fine form make of it a very desirable tree, while its valuable 

 fruit should obtain for it more scientific cultivation. It is unfortunately subject 

 to a destructive fungus disease, which rapidly kills branches and young trees, 

 pursuing its ravages under the bark. 



A tree on which the involucres and burs are suppressed grows in Greene 

 county. New York, where it is widely known as the Burless chestnut. A tree 

 in the New York Botanical Garden has many of the flowers transformed into 

 small leaves. 



III. GOLDEN-LEAF CHINQUAPIN 



GENUS CASTANOPSIS [D. DON] SPACH 

 Species Castanopsis chrysophylla (Hooker) A. de Candolle 

 Castanea chrysophylla Hooker 



[ILSO called Golden-leaved chestnut, this is a beautiful evergreen tree 

 of the Pacific slope from the Columbia River southward to the San 

 Jacinto Mountains; in the coastal valleys of northern CaHfomia it 

 attains a height of 45 meters, with a trunk diameter of 3 m. 

 The trunk is straight and often fluted, often without branches for half its 

 length. The branches are short and spreading, forming a compact round or 

 conic tree. The bark is about 4 cm. thick, deeply fissured into blunt, broad 

 ridges which are covered with rather thick dark red-brown scales; internally it is 

 bright red. The twigs are slender, stiff, bright yellow and scurfy, finally becoming 

 nearly smooth, dark red-brown and bearing small Icnticels and scars of the bud- 

 scales. The buds are 6 mm. long, usually crowded near the ends of the twigs, 

 ovoid to nearly globular, covered by many broad bro\\Ti scales. The leaves are 

 thick and leathery, 5 to 15 cm. long, lanceolate or oblong, gradually taper- pointed, 

 wedge-shaped at the base, entire, somewhat thickened and revolute on the margin, 

 thin and hairy when unfolding, becoming dark green, smooth and shining, golden- 



