Chrysolepis

Hjelmquist

Bot. Not., Suppl. 2(1): 117. 1948.

Common names: Western chinkapin
Etymology: Greek chrysos, gold, and lepis, scale, referring to yellow glands on various organs of the plant
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA03 P82 Castanea Chrysolepis Fagus Lithocarpus pg 442.jpegFagus grandifolia
Chrysolepis sempervirens
Lithocarpus densiflorus var. densiflorus
Castanea pumila
John Myers
John Myers
John Myers
John Myers

Trees or shrubs, evergreen. Terminal buds present, ovoid or subglobose, scales imbricate. Leaves: stipules prominent on new growth, often persistent around buds. Leaf-blade thick, leathery, margins entire or obscurely toothed, secondary-veins obscure, branching and anastomosing before reaching margin. Inflorescences staminate or androgynous, axillary, clustered at ends of branches, spicate, ascending, rigid or flexible; androgynous inflorescences with pistillate cupules/flowers toward base and staminate flowers distally. Staminate flowers: sepals distinct; stamens (6-) 12 (-18), typically surrounding indurate pistillode covered with silky hairs. Pistillate flowers (1-) 3 or more per cupule; sepals distinct; carpels and styles typically 3. Fruits: maturation in 2d year following pollination (termed biennial by many authors); cupule 2-several-valved, valves distinct, completely enclosing nuts, densely spiny, spines irregularly branched, interlocking, without simple hairs, with large, yellowish, multicellular glands; nuts (1-) 3-several per cupule, 3-angled to rounded in cross-section, not winged, adjacent nuts separated from each other by internal cupule valves. x = 12.

Distribution

w United States

Discussion

Species 2

Nuts are sweet and edible but difficult to remove from the spiny cupules unless completely ripe. The two species of Chrysolepis have sometimes been included in Castanopsis; the latter, however, is a related genus of Fagaceae, native to Asia, with very different cupule structure (H.Hjelmquist 1948; L.L. Forman 1966).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Leaf apex acute or acuminate; trees or erect shrubs, bark thick, rough. Chrysolepis chrysophylla
1 Leaf apex obtuse, occasionally somewhat acute; low rhizomatous shrubs, bark thin, smooth. Chrysolepis sempervirens
... more about "Chrysolepis"
Kevin C. Nixon +
Hjelmquist +
pistillate +, capitate +  and spicate +
Western chinkapin +
starchy +  and fleshy +
2-several-valved +
w United States +
Greek chrysos, gold, and lepis, scale, referring to yellow glands on various organs of the plant +
pistillate +  and staminate +
1-seeded +  and winged +
in groups +  and enclosed +
multicellular +
spicate +  and staminate +
unlobed +  and lobed +
arranged +  and alternate +
entire +, dentate +  and serrate +
toothed +  and entire +
separated +  and adjacent +
(1-)3-several +
3-angled +  and rounded +
Bot. Not., Suppl. +
few-to-many +
anastomosing +  and branching +
distinct +
distinct +
Chrysolepis +
Fagaceae +
subglobose +  and ovoid +
distinct +
shrub +  and tree +