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Castanopsis
chrysophylla |
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Family: Fagaceae |
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Giant Chinkapin |
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The
genus Castanopsis contains about 100 species growing in: North America [1] and
tropical and subtropical Asia [99]. The term castanopsis means resembling
Castanea, a chestnut and related genus, while chrysophylla means golden leaf
referring to the golden yellow scales on the underside of leaves.
Castanopsis
chrysophylla: Chestnut, Chinkapin, Chinquapin, Chinquipin, Evergreen Chestnut,
Evergreen Chinkapin, Giant Chinkapin, Giant Evergreen Chinkapin, Golden
Chinkapin, Golden Chinquapin, Goldenleaf Chestnut, Goldenleaf Chinkapin,
Western Chinquapin
Distribution
Pacific
coast region from southwest Washington south to western Oregon, and in coastal
ranges and Sierra Nevada to central California.
The
Tree
The
Giant Chinkapin attains a height of over 100 feet and diameters of 4 feet. The
bark is a dark red brown, with deep fissures. It grows in mountain slopes and
ravines between 3,000 and 6,000 feet. They occur individually among the coastal
redwood forests and in large stands in association with juniper and oaks. It is
a slow growing species living to over 400 years. When the trees flower in late
spring, they are covered in white blossoms which emit a strong odor. It is a
masting species, producing large crops of nuts in a cyclical manner, after
several years of low nut production.
The
Wood
General
The
sapwood of Giant Chinkapin is narrow and light brown and is not distinguishable
from the heartwood except the latter can be tinged or striped with pink. It is
fine grained, soft and brittle, with no characteristic odor or taste.
Mechanical
Properties (2-inch standard)
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Compression |
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Specific gravity |
MOE 106 lbf/in2 |
MOR 103 lbf/in2 |
Parallel 103 lbf/in2 |
Perpendicular 103 lbf/in2 |
WML* in-lbf/in3 |
Hardness lbf |
Shear 103 lbf/in2 |
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Green |
0.42 |
1.02 |
7.00 |
2.03 |
0.49 |
9.5 |
600 |
1.01 |
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Dry |
0.46 |
1.24 |
10.7 |
4.15 |
0.68 |
9.5 |
730 |
1.26 |
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Reference (4). *WML = Work to maximum load. |
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Drying
and Shrinkage
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Shrinkage (% of green) |
Green, 0% MC |
Green, 6% MC |
Green, 20% MC |
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Tangential |
7.4 |
– |
– |
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Radial |
4.6 |
– |
– |
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Volumetric |
13.2 |
– |
– |
Working
Properties:
Not
available at this time.
Durability:
Not
available at this time.
Preservation:
Not
available at this time.
Uses:
Paneling,
tool handles, furniture, novelties, fuel wood.
Toxicity:
No
information available at this time.
Additional
Reading and References Cited (in parentheses)
1. Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois &
E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods - temperate and
tropical. USDA Forest Service, FPL General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57.
2. Elias, T.S. 1980. The complete trees of North America, field guide and
natural history. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 948 pp.
3. Little, Jr., E.L.1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and
naturalized). USDA Forest Service, Ag. Handbook No. 541, USGPO, Washington, DC.
4. Markwardt, L.J. and T.R.C. Wilson. 1935. Strength and related properties of
woods grown in the United States. USDA Forest Service, Tech. Bull. No. 479.
USGPO, Washington, DC.
5. Panshin, A.J. and C. de Zeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Ed.,
McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 722 pp.
6. Record, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the new world. Yale University
Press, New Haven, 640 pp.
7. Simpson, W.T. 1991. Dry kiln operator's manual. USDA Forest Service, FPL Ag.
Handbook 188.
8. Summitt, R. and A. Sliker. 1980. CRC handbook of materials science. Volume
4, wood. CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL. 459 pp.
Harry A. Alden, 1994