Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 22, 2026

Castanopsis cuspidata

Castanopsis cuspidata is a species of Castanopsis native to southern Japan and southern Korea.

Last revised
Jul 22, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
313 w
Citations
4
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Castanopsis cuspidata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Castanopsis
Species:
C. cuspidata
Binomial name
Castanopsis cuspidata
(Thunb.) Schottky
Synonyms

Pasania cuspidata (Thunb.) Oerst.
Pasaniopsis cuspidata (Thunb.) Kudô
Quercus cuspidata Thunb.

Castanopsis cuspidata (Japanese chinquapin; Japanese tsuburajii, 円椎) is a species of Castanopsis native to southern Japan and southern Korea.

It is a medium-sized evergreen tree growing to 20–30 m tall, related to beech and oak. The leaves are 5–9 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, leathery in texture, with an entire or irregularly toothed margin.2 It grows in woods and ravines, especially near the sea.

The cotyledon of the nut is eaten boiled or roasted.3

Its dead wood serves as host to many mushroom types, most notably the shiitake, whose Japanese name (椎茸) is composed of shii (椎, the Castanopsis tree), and take (茸; "mushroom").4

  • Bark of base of mature tree
    Bark of base of mature tree
  • Tall trunk of mature tree
    Tall trunk of mature tree
  • Slender, fountain-like canopy of mature specimen, viewed from beneath
    Slender, fountain-like canopy of mature specimen, viewed from beneath
  • Mature, deep green leaves
    Mature, deep green leaves
  • Flowering shoots
    Flowering shoots
  • Closeup of slender inflorescences
    Closeup of slender inflorescences
  • Edible seeds/nuts
    Edible seeds/nuts
  • Preserved specimen from herbarium, with descriptive notes
    Preserved specimen from herbarium, with descriptive notes
  • Dead trunk, with fruiting bodies of shiitake
    Dead trunk, with fruiting bodies of shiitake
References

References

  1. Barstow, M. (2018). "Castanopsis cuspidata". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN: e.T62004530A62004533. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T62004530A62004533.en.
  2. "World Species : Castanopsis cuspidata (Japanese Chinquapin)". World Species. 2009-11-04. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  3. Youn, Un-Young; Kim, Ryeong-Hyeon; Kim, Gyo-Nam; Lee, Seung-Cheol (2017). "Antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities of the nuts of Castanopsis cuspidata var. thunbergii". Food Science and Biotechnology. 26 (5): 1407–1414. doi:10.1007/s10068-017-0183-2. ISSN 1226-7708. PMC 6049773. PMID 30263676. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  4. Wasser S. (2004). "Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)". In Coates PM; Blackman M; Cragg GM; White JD; Moss J; Levine MA. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. CRC Press. pp. 653–64. ISBN 978-0-8247-5504-1.
External links
  • "WCSP". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. (enter "Castanopsis cuspidata" in search box).