84 CHINESE ECONOMIC TEEES 



Nuts rounded or compressed, dark-brown, shiny, tomentose or pubescent 

 at the apex to which the remnant of the style remains attached, marked 

 by an oval scar at the base. Seeds solitary or occasionally 2-3 in each 

 nut, the abortive ovules are attached to the apex of the seed. 



About 10 species known in Europe, North America, N. Africa and 

 Asia. About 3 species have been ascribed to China. The chestnut is 

 cultivated in Europe, America and Asia as a fruit tree. The nuts ground 

 into flour and made into a porridge constitute an important food of the 

 peasants of France, Italy and Spain. In China many varieties are under 

 cultivation, separable into 2 distinct types, one characterized by a large 

 nut, similar to the Spanish chestnut, and the other by a small nut esteemed 

 for its very fine flavor. The wood is pale, with dark brown heart wood, 

 coarse grained, porous, very durable in contact with the soil and for 

 construction purposes, inferior only to the oak. Chestnut timber for rail- 

 way ties, telegraph and telephone poles, finds a ready market in America. 

 The chestnuts are grown under coppice manngement to supply posts and 

 poles and staves for barrel making. Unfortunately the chestnuts are 

 liable to several serious fungous infestations, the most destructive one, 

 known as the Chestnut Bark disease, has rendered the growing of the 

 chestnut in America impracticable. 



Castanea differs chiefly from Castanopsis by being deciduous while 

 Castanopsis is evergreen. 



Castanea mollissima Blume. 

 (Pan Li.) Chestnut. 



Tree 15-20 m. tall with deeply fissured bark and pilose young 

 branches. Winter buds short, broadly ovate and tomentose. Leaves 

 ovate-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, pointed, rounded or truncate at the 

 base, coarsely and irregularly serrate, smooth above, more or less densely 

 tomentose with stellate hairs below, 9-15 cm. long on a short pubescent 

 stalk. Staminate aments as long as the leaves. Fruit variable in size, 

 light brown with pubescent spines. Nuts up to 2.5 era. across. 



Indigenous to the mountains of western China. 



Widely cultivated. This chestnut attains a large size when permitted 

 to grow, but around habitations the biggest trees have been cut off and it 

 is now most commonly met with as a small tree or bushy shrub. The 

 nuts are sold in the markets, and are noted for their size. 



