- Corylus heterophylla
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Asian Hazel Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Rosids Order: Fagales Family: Betulaceae Genus: Corylus Species: C. heterophylla Binomial name Corylus heterophylla
Fisch. ex Trautv.Corylus heterophylla, the Asian Hazel, is a species of hazel native to eastern Asia, from northern China, eastern Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and southeastern Siberia.[1]
It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 7 m tall, with stems up to 20 cm thick grey bark. The leaves are rounded, 4-13 cm long and 2.5-10cm broad, with a coarsely double-serrated to somewhat lobed margin and an often truncated apex. The flowers are wind-pollinated catkins; the male (pollen) catkins are pale yellow, 4 cm long, while the female catkins are bright red and only 1–3 mm long. The fruit is a nut produced in clusters of 2–6 together; each nut is 0.7–1.5 cm diameter, partly enclosed in a 1.5–2.5 cm long, bract-like involucre (husk).[1][2]
It is very similar to the closely related Common Hazel (C. avellana) of Europe and western Asia, differing in the leaves being somewhat more lobed.[2]
Uses
The nut is edible, and is very similar to the Common Hazel nut; it is cultivated commercially in China.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Flora of China: Corylus heterophylla
- ^ a b Bean, W. J. (1976). Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles 8th ed., vol. 1. John Murray ISBN 0-7195-1790-7.
Categories:- Corylus
- Edible nuts and seeds
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