Castanopsis sieboldii

Castanopsis sieboldii
Castanopsis sieboldii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Fagaceae
Genus:	Castanopsis
Species:	C. sieboldii
Binomial name
Castanopsis sieboldii (Makino) Hatus
Synonyms
Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii (Makino) Nakai Pasania cuspidata var. sieboldii Makino)

Castanopsis sieboldii, also known as the Itajii Chinkapin or Itajii, is a species of evergreen tree that lives in subtropical eastern Asia.^[1][2] This is a climax species that is commonly found in the Japanese temperate rainforest.^[3] Specimens are also present within the forest area of the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Castanopsis sieboldii was once thought to be a subspecies of the similar Castanopsis cuspidata.

Plants and animals associated with this tree include:

• Aspidistra elatior, the cast-iron plant, grows in the understorey.
• Acrocercops mantica, Chrysocercops castanopsidis, and Lymantria albescens^[4] larvae of these Asian moths likely mine the leaves.
• Amantis nawai, a small praying mantis species native to Eastern Asia is known to live around C. sieboldii where it eats insects.
• Okinawa rail, a Japanese bird, lives among these trees.

Gallery

• 
  Flower, female
• 
  Nuts
• 
  Bark

References

1. "Shii (Castanopsis sieboldii)". Thinking Like a Forest.
2. "A Japanese useful tree: Castanopsis - Life in Kochi". Life in Kochi.
3. "Canopy Multilayering and Woody Species Diversity of a Subtropical Evergreen Broadleaf Forest, Okinawa Island.". hawaii.edu.
4. "Moth Photographers Group – Lymantria albescens – 19458". msstate.edu.

External links