Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fagales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Castanea mollissima
FAMILY
Fagaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Chinese Chestnut at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Castanea mollissima
FAMILY
Fagaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Castanea mollissima
COMMON NAME:
Chinese Chestnut
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm0506j_24
June Oconee County SC
The exotic chestnut most frequently encountered as a naturalized species, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm0506j_30
June Oconee County SC
Small Asian tree with short trunk & wide crown, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
JK Marlow jkm230606_3843
June Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
Staminate flowers in erect catkins; pistillate in a prickly involucre, per Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr, 1975+).
)
JK Marlow s050618_f
June Oconee County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm220906_9734
September Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
Sam Pratt sbp_2745
September Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
Cupule densely covered with pubescent spinelike bracts, per Flora of China.
)
Sam Pratt sbp_2747
September Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
)
Sam Pratt sbp_2749
September Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
)
Sam Pratt sbp_2754
September Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
Fruits over 4cm wide, split along 4 sutures, enclose 3 nuts, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
Sam Pratt sbp_2755
September Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
)
Sam Pratt sbp_2756
September Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
)
Sam Pratt sbp_2757
September Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow s071016_c
October Oconee County SC
Leaves mostly 4-7" long, dark green & glossy above, pale & velvety below, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Castanea mollissima
FAMILY
Fagaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Castanea mollissima
FAMILY
Fagaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Castanea mollissima
286
Tree
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: forests, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: China
Rare, widely planted and sometimes naturalizing
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer
Creamy-white
4-6 sepals
Petals absent
12(-18) stamens in staminate flowers
Unisexual
Flowers in catkins
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Brown
Nut
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007) p152
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p233
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p45
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p092
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".