Castanopsis chinensis

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range spanning several key regions across Asia. Within China, its presence is documented across both the South-Central and Southeast territories. The distribution extends further east to the island of Taiwan in Eastern Asia. Additionally, the species can be found within the Indo-China region, specifically in Vietnam. Together, these locations define the natural habitat where Castanopsis chinensis thrives.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Castanopsis chinensis is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence in its ecosystem. As a phanerophyte, specifically categorized under both phanerophyte classifications, the plant maintains its photosynthetic organs on elevated branches well above the soil surface, a strategy that aids in competition for light within forest structures. This species exhibits an evergreen deciduousness, meaning it retains its foliage throughout the year, providing a continuous capacity for photosynthesis and structural stability across changing seasons.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Castanopsis chinensis is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree that functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte, as it maintains a terrestrial existence. This species typically achieves a significant stature, with a plant height ranging from a minimum of 10 meters to a maximum of 20 meters, maintaining an average height of approximately 15 meters. In terms of structural support, it is classified as a self-supporting plant rather than a liana or vine, contributing to its robust, arborescent habit.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

20 m

Plant height mean:

15 m

Plant height min:

10 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Castanopsis chinensis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and carbon fixation strategies. The plant's vegetative structure is defined by elliptic-shaped leaves that exhibit a toothed margin and are entirely devoid of thorns or spines. These leaves show significant morphological variation in size, with a mean length of 12.5 cm (ranging from a minimum of 7 cm to a maximum of 18 cm) and a mean width of 3.5 cm (varying from a minimum of 2 cm to a maximum of 5 cm). This dimensional range in leaf surface area plays a critical role in the plant's gas exchange and light interception capabilities within its ecological niche.

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

18 cm

Leaf length mean:

12.5 cm

Leaf length min:

7 cm

Leaf margin :

toothed

Leaf spines :

no

Leaf thorns :

no

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

3.5 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Castanopsis chinensis is characterized by the development of specific fruiting structures and seeds with highly consistent physical dimensions. The fruits produced by this species typically exhibit a mean length of 1.4 cm, though they can range in size from a minimum of 1.2 cm to a maximum of 1.6 cm. Complementing the fruit development is a highly uniform seed production process, as evidenced by the seed mass, which remains remarkably constant. The seed mass shows no variance across observed samples, maintaining a consistent value of 0.4 g, which serves as both the mean, minimum, and maximum mass for the seeds.

Fruit length max:

1.6 cm

Fruit length mean:

1.4 cm

Fruit length min:

1.2 cm

Seed mass mean:

0.4 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Castanopsis chinensis has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Journal of natural medicines

Preparations

Castanopsis chinensis has 1 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include 80% methanolic extract.

80% methanolic extract

1. Journal of natural medicines