Chestnut (Castanea)

Family:

Beech familiy

Flowering period:

June to August

Distribution:

originates from Asia Minor and is today mainly distributed in the Mediterranean countries, requires light and warmth and thus North of the Alps on sheltered spots in mild climate, needs moist, permeable and rather acidic soil

Appearance:

deciduous tree (seldom shrubby), leaves at first with hairs, but looses hairs quickly, elliptic to lanceolate leaf with pointed leaf blade tip, serrated to crenated leaf margins, male inflorescence (catkins) consists of glubose inflorescences, female flowers situated at the base, only one gender develops per hermaphrodite inflorescence, cross-pollination is required, insect and wind pollinated, fruits are dark brown nuts (chestnuts) surrounded by a spiny fruit cup, seeds distributed by animals (squirrels, dormice, some birds)

Allergenicity:

low, cross-reaction between chestnut and birch pollen, but also as chestnut allergy (chestnuts) in conjunction with a latex allergy, main allergen Cas s1 (cross-reactivity to Bet v1)

Link zum Pollenatlas: Castanea sativa