From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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Castanea dentata - American chestnut Castanea mollissima - Chinese chestnut Castanea pumila - Alleghany chinkapin Castanea sativa - Sweet chestnut |
A chestnut is a tree or shrub of the genus Castanea, including the chinkapins, or the nut produced by these trees. Most are tall trees to 30-40m tall, but some species (the chinkapins) are shrubby. All are deciduous. The nuts are commonly eaten roasted or candied; the latter are often sold under the French name marrons glacés.
The American chestnut, formerly one of the dominant trees of the eastern United States, has been almost wiped out by chestnut blight.
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The name chestnut, is also commonly applied to several species in the unrelated genus Aesculus (family Hippocastanaceae), usually in compound form 'horse chestnut', 'horse-chestnut' or 'horsechestnut'. The nuts of this genus are inedible, 'only fit for horses', hence the name.
