Chinese and American Chestnuts
Leaves
Top of Leaves
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 paper
Chinese Leaf (right):
- Leaf is oval-shaped
- Teeth are smaller
- Base of leaf blade is rounded
- Leaf is thick and waxy-feeling
Underside of Leaves
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):
- Oval-shaped leaf
- Small teeth on edge
- Base of leaf blade rounded
- Underside of sun leaves look whitish because of many hairs
Buds & Stems
American Buds & Lenticels
- Pointed buds that angle away from the stem
- Stems smooth and hairless
- Stem color reddish brown to dark green
- Small but numerous lenticels on stem
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) on stem
Stipules
American Stipules
- Slender
- Angle sharply out from stem
- Usually fall off in June
Chinese Stipules
- Broad
- Cover the buds
- Remain on the stem through September
Burs & Nuts
American & Chinese Burs
American Chestnut Burs (left):
- A dense mass of long, slender spines
- Spines are 2 to 3 cm long, 0.5 mm thick
- Up to 3 nuts per bur
Chinese Chestnut Burs (right):
- A sparse mass of short, thick spines
- Spines are 1 to 2 cm long, 1 mm thick
- Up to 3 nuts per bur
American & Chinese Nuts
American Chestnuts:
- Nuts are relatively small, 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter
- Tips of American chestnuts are pointed
- Nuts are hairy over 1/3 to 2/3 of length from pointed end
- Vascular bundles in a sunburst pattern on hilum end
- 2 to 3 nuts in each bur
Chinese Chestnuts:
- Nuts are relatively large, 3/4 to 2 inches in diameter
- Tips of Chinese chestnuts are rounded
- Only the tips of the nuts are hairy
- Vascular bundles in a diffuse pattern on hilum end
- 2 to 3 nuts in each bur