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그루안

Siebold's Chinquapin

Castanopsis sieboldii · Fagaceae · 구실잣밤나무

How to spot it

Leaves are alternate in two rows, and the underside is covered with scale-like hairs that make it pale brown or whitish. The nut is wrapped in a husk that splits into three when ripe. The fruit is larger than that of the Japanese chinquapin (Castanopsis cuspidata).

Look

Leaves
Leaves are lanceolate to long-elliptic, 7 to 12 cm long, with small wavy teeth; glossy green above, and the underside is covered with scale-like hairs, pale brown or whitish.
Flowers
Pale yellow flowers open in June with a strong fragrance.
Fruit
The egg-shaped nut, 15 to 20 mm long, is wrapped in a husk that splits into three when ripe; it matures the following year.
Bark
Blackish-gray bark with shallow lengthwise cracks, but fairly smooth.

Where it grows

In Korea
Native (Korean Peninsula)
Native to
Found mainly in coastal areas of Jeollanam-do, Jeju-do and Gyeongsangnam-do in Korea, and in China, Japan and Taiwan.
Ecology
Very shade tolerant, though large trees are sun-loving. It grows well in moist sandy loam, tolerates pollution, adapts well to city conditions, and has high salt tolerance.

Famous Siebold's Chinquapin trees in Korea

Sources