Herb latin name: Castanopsis hystrix


Family: Fagaceae (Beech Family)



Edible parts of Castanopsis hystrix:

Seed - raw or cooked. Small but a good flavour. The seed is up to 14mm in diameter. Flowers. No more details are given, but the flowers are very small and produced in catkins.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
30 m
(98 feet)

Flowering:
May to
June

Scent:
Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Forests in the eastern Himalayas to 2400 metres. Broad-leaved evergreen forests from near sea level to 1600 metres in China.

Other uses of Castanopsis hystrix:

Wood - hard. Used for construction, fencing, fuel etc.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - requires a period of cold stratification and is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed has a short viability and should not be allowed to dry out. It can be stored for a few months if kept cool and moist (putting it in a plastic bag that is placed in the salad compartment of a fridge works well). Stored seed should be soaked in warm water for 24 - 48 hours prior to sowing. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 15°C. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and plant them out in mid summer if possible, otherwise grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring. Give the young plants some protection from cold for their first few winters outdoors.

Cultivation of Castanopsis hystrix:

Forests in the eastern Himalayas to 2400 metres. Broad-leaved evergreen forests from near sea level to 1600 metres in China.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Castanopsis hystrix:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.