Closely related to Castanopsis philipensis[].

Common Name:

General Information

Castanopsis inermis is an evergreen tree with a spreading crown; it can grow 10 - 30 metres tall[]. The bole is 30 - 90cm in diameter[].
The edible seeds are generally harvested from the wild for local consumption. The tree is frequently cultivated in N Malacca for its nuts[]. They are sold in local markets in Sumatra[]. This is one of many timber-bearing species in the genus Castanopsis that is harvested from the wild on a commercial basis and traded under the name Berangan[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia to Indonesia.

Habitat

Forests, mostly in the hills, also found in bamboo forest, and in groves on a river-bank at elevations up to 600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Castanopsis species are generally tolerant of a range of soils, preferably well-drained[]. They succeed in full sun, though young plants generally grow best in dappled woodland shade.

Edible Uses

Seeds - raw or cooked[, ]. They can be boiled, parched, roasted or used in chocolates and pastries[, ]. The seeds can be 30 - 20mm[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bark is a source of tannins and can be used as a dye, to weatherproof fibres etc[, ].

The branches and stems of many Castanopsis species are used as bed logs in mushroom cultivation[].

The heartwood is dark brown or dark red-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the light brown sapwood which often has a green tinge. The texture is coarse and uneven; the grain fairly straight but sometimes interlocked, maybe lustrous when first cut; there is no distinctive odour or taste when dry. The wood is strong, moderately hard, moderately heavy to heavy, moderately durable and very difficult to treat. It seasons fairly slowly, without any defects except for some staining; shrinkage is very high. It is easy to work, easy to split, moderately easy to resaw and easy to cross-cut; planning is easy and the planed surface is smooth, it takes a good finish. A light hardwood, it is suitable for medium to heavy construction under cover, furniture making, packing cases and pallets. Some species split well and are used for shingles[, ].
The wood is a good fuel and can be used to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - easy to germinate if sown fresh. Self-sown seedlings can be transplanted[].

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