Herb latin name: Castanopsis tribuloides


Family: Fagaceae (Beech Family)



Edible parts of Castanopsis tribuloides:

Seed - raw or cooked. Resembles a filbert (Corylus maxima) in size and flavour. The seeds are about 16mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
8 m
(26 feet)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Broad-leaved evergreen forests around 1300 metres in western China. Found at elevations up to 1800 metres in the Himalayas.

Other uses of Castanopsis tribuloides:

Wood - moderately hard, not durable. Used for planks, shingles and shading.

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 tribuloides:

Broad-leaved evergreen forests around 1300 metres in western China. Found at elevations up to 1800 metres in the Himalayas.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Castanopsis tribuloides:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.