7 6 
CASTANEA 
Quercus YObWY X sessili/tova Giirke Plant. Eur. ii, 58 (1897); Moss in Journ. Bot. xlviii, 34 (1910); 
Q. rosacea Bechstein in Sylven. 66, t. 6 (1813) ex Schneider loc. cit. ; Q. pedunculata var. pubescens Loudon 
Arboret. iii, 1731 (1838); Q. robori-germanica Lasch in Bot. Zeit. xv, 418 (1857) including Q. subrobori-germanica, 
et Q. subgermanico-robur p. 419; Q. robur x sessilis Schneider Handb. Laubh. i, 197 (1904); Ascherson und 
Graebner Syn. iv, 520 (1911); Q. pedunculata y sessilis Rouy FI. France xii, 323 (1910) including Q. sessilis var. 
glabra p. 313. 
leones : — Camb. Brit. FI. ii. Plate 77. ( a ) Shoot with catkins. ( b ) Leaf, upper surface, (c) Leaf, 
lower surface. ( d ) Portion of staminate catkin (enlarged). ( e ) Staminate flower (enlarged). (/) Perianth 
(enlarged), (g) Pistillate catkin (enlarged). (A) Base of leaf, upper surface (enlarged). ( i ) Portions of leaf, 
lower surface (enlarged). (j) Ripe fruit. ( k ) Acorn. Cambridgeshire (C. E. M.). 
Exsiccata : — Herb. FI. Ingric. 552 (partim), as Q. pedunculata-, herb. Ehrhart (partim), as Q. pedunculata. 
Differs from Q. robur in possessing multiple or bifid hairs on the lower surface of the lamina , 
and from Q. sessiliflora in having two reflexed auricles at the base of the lamina on the lower 
surface. Petioles and peduncles usually long. Nuts intermediate in size. 
Common in Great Britain, wherever the putative parents grow together, and therefore most abundant on 
dry sandy and gravelly soils and in valley-bottoms in hilly districts. From Cornwall and Kent, northwards to 
Perthshire at least. 
Germany, France, central Europe, Russia, and doubtless elsewhere. 
Genus 2. f Castanea. 
Castanea [Tournefort Inst. 584, t. 352 (1719)] Miller Gard. Diet. ed. 8 (1768); Gaertner De Fruct. i, 181 
t. 37 (1788); Prantl Pfianzenfam. iii, pt. i, 54(1894); Ascherson und Graebner Syn. iv, 440 (1911); Fagus L. Sp. 
PI 99 7 0753 ) et Gen. PI. 432 (1754) partim. 
Trees. Leaves deciduous. Catkins appearing after the leaves, compound, usually with a few 
pistillate cymes at the base, and numerous staminate cymes above, sometimes wholly staminate, 
spreading or ascending. Staminate cymes of 3 — 7 flowers. Pistillate cymes of 3 flowers. Flowers 
insect-pollinated. Perianth with 5 — 8 divisions. Stamens about 12. Carpels and stigmas about 4 — 9. 
Fruiting involucre bristly, enclosing 3 — 5, usually 3 nuts. Nut terete. Cotyledons rugose ; of the 
seedling, epigeal. 
We think that the anemophilous habit is primitive among the Amentiflorae , and that Castanea is a more advanced type 
than Quercus. 
Smith (Eng. Bot. no. 1846) objected to the removal of Castanea from the Linnaean genus Fagus. He held that 
Gaertner’s “making the chestnut a distinct genus is one of those glaring errors of a great man, which should teach all naturalists 
caution, and more especially candour.” Of course, Gaertner was only reverting to the view of Tournefort, Ray, Miller, 
Hill, and others, a view which is now universally accepted. 
About 28 species; about 25 (tropical India) in the subgenus Castanopsis , and about 3 or 4 (north temperate 
zone) in the subgenus Eu-Castanea. 
The only British species (*C. sativa) belongs to Eu-Castanea Prantl in Pflanzenfam. iii, pt. i, 55 (1894). 
I. t CASTANEA SATIVA. Sweet Chestnut or Spanish Chestnut. Plate 78 
Castanea Gerard Herball 1253 (1597); Ray Syn. ed. 3, 440 (1724). 
Castanea sativa Miller Gard. Diet. ed. 8, no. 1 (1768); Rouy FI. France xii, 307 (1910); Fagus 
castanea L. Sp. PI. 997 (1753)!; Smith FI. Brit. 1027 (1804); Eng. FI. iv, 151 (1828); Castanea vulgaris Lamarck 
Encycl. i, 708 (1783); Syme Eng. Bot. viii, 159 (1868); C. vesca Gaertner De Fruct. i, 181 (1788); Castanea 
castanea Karsten Deutsche FI. 494 (1882); Ascherson und Graebner Syn. iv, 441 (1911). 
leones: — Smith Eng. Bot. t. 886, as Fagus castanea-, Reichenbach Icon. t. 690, fig. 1305, as C. vesca ; 
Hartig Forst. Culturpfl. t. 19 as C. vesca. 
Camb. Brit. FI. ii. Plate 78. (a) Shoot with catkins, (b) Ovary (enlarged). ( c ) Staminate flower (enlarged). 
(d) Leaf. ( e ) Fertile shoot in summer, (f) Nuts. Surrey (E. W. H.). 
Exsiccata: — Billot, 2531, as C. vulgaris-, v. Hayek, 520; Schultz, xxvi, 2585, as C. vulgaris. 
Tree, attaining a height of about 30 m. Old bark furrowed. Branches spreading. Winter-buds 
obtuse, covered with 2 ovoid scales, glabrous. Petioles relatively short, distinct. Laminae narrowly 
ovate, serrate, acute to acuminate, about 10 — 20 cm. long and 3 — 6 broad. Catkins flowering after 
the leaves are fully formed ; July. Fruiting involucre usually containing 3 nuts. Nuts large ; October. 
