Chrysolepis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chrysolepis |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Fagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Quercoideae |
| Genus: | Chrysolepis Hjelmq. |
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Chrysolepis is a small group of plants. They are found only in the western United States. These plants are often called chinquapin. There are two types of chinquapin plants. You can find them from Washington down to southern California. They also grow east into Nevada.
Contents
What are Chrysolepis Plants Like?
Chrysolepis plants are evergreen trees or shrubs. This means their leaves stay green all year. Their leaves are simple and have smooth edges. The underside of the leaves has a thick layer of golden scales. The top side has a thinner layer. These leaves stay on the plant for about 3 to 4 years. Then they fall off.
The fruit of the Chrysolepis plant is spiny. It looks like a small, prickly ball. Inside, there are 1 to 3 sweet, tasty nuts. People from the local native groups used to eat these nuts. Small animals like chipmunks and squirrels also enjoy them.
Chrysolepis plants are related to a group of plants called Castanopsis. These plants grow in warm parts of Asia. Chrysolepis is also related to Castanea plants, which are chestnuts. But Chrysolepis nuts are triangle-shaped. They are fully covered in a special cup. Their nuts also take much longer to ripen, about 14 to 16 months. Chestnut nuts ripen in just 3 to 5 months.
Types of Chrysolepis Plants
There are two main types, or species, of Chrysolepis plants. They are Chrysolepis chrysophylla and Chrysolepis sempervirens. Both are known as chinquapin plants.
Golden Chinquapin
The Chrysolepis chrysophylla is also called the golden chinquapin. It can grow as a tall tree, reaching 20 to 40 meters (65 to 130 feet) high. Sometimes, it grows as a smaller shrub, about 3 to 10 meters (10 to 33 feet) tall. This plant usually grows at lower elevations. You can find it from sea level up to 1500 meters (about 4900 feet). Its leaves are 6 to 12 centimeters (2.4 to 4.7 inches) long. They have a sharp, pointed tip. The bark of this plant is thick and rough.
You can find the golden chinquapin along the coast of Washington near Seattle. It grows south to the San Luis Obispo area in California Coast Ranges. There is also a small group of these plants in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains.
Bush Chinquapin
The Chrysolepis sempervirens is known as the bush chinquapin. This plant is usually a shrub. It only grows about 1 to 2 meters (3 to 7 feet) tall. The bush chinquapin grows mostly at high elevations. You can find it from 1000 to 3000 meters (about 3300 to 9800 feet) high. Its leaves are smaller, about 4 to 8 centimeters (1.6 to 3.1 inches) long. They have a blunt or rounded tip. The bark of this plant is thin and smooth.
The bush chinquapin grows in southwest Oregon and California. It is found in the Klamath Mountains and across the entire Sierra Nevada range. You can also see it in the San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, and San Jacinto Mountains in Southern California.
Images for kids
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Foliage and fruit of the golden chinquapin.
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Bush chinquapin in Owens Valley.
See also
In Spanish: Chrysolepis para niños
