Chinese vs. American Chestnut Burs and Nuts (Castanea mollissima vs. Castanea dentata) American vs. Chinese

Top View American Leaf (left): Leaf is long in relation to its width Large, prominent teeth on edge; bristle at the end of each tooth curves inward Base of leaf blade tapers sharply Leaf is very thin and American Chestnut Chinese Chestnut Burs: papery Burs: A sparse mass of short, A dense mass of long, thick spines Chinese Leaf (right): slender spines Spines are 1 to 2 cm long, Leaf is oval-shaped Spines are 2 to 3 cm long, 1 mm thick Teeth are smaller 0.5 mm thick Up to 3 nuts per bur Base of leaf blade is Up to 3 nuts per bur rounded Leaf is thick and waxy- feeling

Chestnut and Chinkapin Leaves Top of leaves Chinese vs. American Chestnut Burs and Nuts American vs. Chinese Bottom View American Leaf (left): Elongated leaf Large, prominent teeth on edge; bristle on teeth curves inward Blade tapers sharply to meet stem at base of leaf blade Light green underside on leaves exposed to the sun Chinese Leaf (right): American Chestnuts: Chinese Chestnuts: Oval-shaped leaf Nuts are relatively small, 1/2 to Nuts are relatively large, 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter 2 inches in diameter Small teeth on edge Tips of American chestnuts are Tips of Chinese chestnuts are Base of leaf blade pointed rounded rounded Nuts are hairy over 1/3 to 2/3 of Only the tips of the nuts are hairy length from pointed end Vascular bundles in a diffuse Underside of sun leaves Vascular bundles in a sunburst pattern on hilum end look whitish because of pattern on hilum end 2 to 3 nuts in each bur many hairs 2 to 3 nuts in each bur

Chestnut Stems and Buds From Left: American,Chinese, European, and Japanese twigs American twig: pointed bud Chinkapin Japanese European Chinese American at 45 degree angle from stem; Leaf TapertoStem Straight Curved Curved Curved Straight smooth, reddish stem Taper to Tip Straight Curved Curved Curved Straight Chinese twig: rounded, hairy Teeth 1-3 mm,small, Tiny,often only Big,sharp or Large or small,not 6 mm,big, sharp, buds, large stipules (leaf-like sharp,no hook bristles,no hook rounded,no hook pronounced or and often curved coverings over the buds), hooked (hooked) Underside of Leaf large lenticels (white Sun leaveshairy Manylarge dots Manysmall dots. Sparse dots.Sun Manysmall dots. "bumps" on stem) (glands),sun leaves Sun leaveshairyon leaveshairy. Sun leavesnot hairy some specimens hairy,long sparse European twig: thick stem, butnotothers hairsonlyon midrib. Twig large buds Hairytips,purple or Pinkto lightred, Stout,dark, brown, Hairytips, tan to pea Slender,smooth, brownish grey large white lenticels small white lenticels green.Large hairlessreddish Japanese twig: pale, pinkish elliptical yellow brown,small white lenticels lenticels stem Bud Up to 3mm,downy Glossybrown,as Darkred,fatand Hairy,tan,dull Up to 6mm, darkred,pointed long asitiswide globular brown to black smooth,reddish longer than wide, (rounded) rounded and flat brown to yellow, sticks outfrom stem againststem pointed,or longer Bottom of leaves than itis wide, sticks outfrom stem (Reverse side) Nut Top Row: Allegheny chinkapin leaf 1 nut½“ tip pointed 2-3 nuts,1-2 in.No 2-3 nuts,1-2 in.No 2-3 nuts,¾ - 2 in, 2-3 nuts,½ - 1 in., with a round cross sunburstpattern at sunburstpattern, rounded hairytip, pointed tip,top 1/3 Bottom row (from left): American, Chinese, European and section base,moderate darkbrown black sunburstpattern to 2/3 downy, brown stripes uncommon,often lt. sunburstatbase Japanese Chestnut leaves brown Taste Sweet Notsweet Starchy Sweet Sweet Resistance to blight None Moderate Slight High Low to None Chestnut and Chinkapin Burs Stipules American Stipules

Slender

Angle sharply out from stem

Usually fall off in June

Clockwise from top:

Allegheny chinkapin, European chestnut, Japanese chestnut, Chinese chestnut, and American chestnut burs Note that the Chinese bur looks small, even though the nuts inside are large. This is because of their short, stubby spines.

Chestnut and Chinkapin Nuts American Buds and Lenticels

Pointed buds that angle away from the stem

Stems smooth and hairless

Stem color reddish brown to dark green

Small but numerous Top and Side Views of Chestnuts lenticels on stem From Left: American, Chinese, Japanese, and European chestnuts Buds and Stems Chestnuts

Chestnut burs have two sutures and Chinese open into four valves (sections) Stipules There are up to three nuts per bur.

Broad

Cover the buds

Remain on the Chinkapins stem through Chinkapin burs have one September suture and open into two valves (sections).

There is only a single nut per bur.

Buds and Stems Chestnut and Chinkapin Nuts

Chinese Buds and Lenticels

Rounded buds that hug the stem

Hairy stems and hairy leaf veins

Stem color tan to pea- green

Large lenticels (bumps) Top: Chinkapin nuts: note the pointed end on stem Middle: American chestnuts: note the hairy surface Bottom: Chinese chestnuts: note the rounded end