Chestnut (scientific name: Castanea mollissima), also known as chestnut, Chinese chestnut, is the chestnut genus of the family Crustacea, native to China, distributed in Vietnam, Taiwan, and mainland China, grows at an altitude of 370-2800 meters in the region, mostly found in mountainous terrain, has been widely cultivated by man.

The chestnut is one of the earliest cultivated fruit trees in China, with a cultivation history of about 2,000 to 3,000 years. The leaves are lanceolate or oblong, with serrated margins. Flowers unisexual, monoecious; male flowers are catkins, the involucre splits at maturity and the chestnut fruit is shed. Nut purple-brown, yellow-brown velutinous, or nearly smooth, flesh yellowish. The fruit contains sugar, starch, protein, fat and a variety of vitamins and minerals.

China's chestnut varieties can be roughly divided into two categories of northern chestnut and southern chestnut: northern chestnut nut smaller, glutinous flesh, suitable for frying, the famous varieties of Ming chestnut, tip of the oil chestnut, Ming pick chestnut. Southern chestnut nuts larger, flesh partial japonica, suitable for dishes, varieties of nine species, Kui chestnut, shallow thorn chestnut, and so on. Tree nature is strong and healthy. The root system is developed, with mycorrhizal **** born. More drought-resistant, barren, suitable for mountain cultivation. Suitable for acidic soil. Multi rows of live seeding, can also be grafted propagation. The wood is dense, hard, and moisture-resistant. Branches, bark and involucre contain tannins, and tannin can be extracted.

Chestnut has a long history. Sima Qian in the Western Han Dynasty in the "Records of the Grand Historian" of the "cargo colonial biography" in the "Yan, Qin Thousand Tree Chestnut ...... this their people are with a thousand Hou, etc." a clear record. Su Qin biography" in the "Qin said Yan Wenhou day: South of the Jieshi Yanmen's spare, north of the jujube and chestnut benefit, although the people are not fine work, but enough in the jujube and chestnut carry on, this so-called heavenly capital also" said. Western Jin Lu Ji for the "Poetry" as a note also said: "Chestnut, five parties have, but Yuyang Fanyang born of sweet and delicious long, the place is not as good as." It can be seen, China's working people as early as four thousand years ago has been cultivated chestnut. Chestnuts are born in the low hills and gentle slopes and riverbanks, Hebei (Qiangxi - chestnut production base), Shandong, Hubei (Lutian Macheng), Xinyang Luoshan, Shaanxi Zhen'an is a famous chestnut producing areas.

Species

Crush Chestnut (C. alnifolia)

Japanese Chestnut (C. crenata)

American Chestnut (C. dentata)

Pearl Chestnut (C. henryi)

Chinese Chestnut (C. mollissima)

American Hazelnut Chestnut (C. ozarkensis)

American dwarf chestnut (C. pumila)

European chestnut (C. sativa)

Maize chestnut (C. seguinii)