Castanea sativa
Castanea sativa Mill.
Fagaceae – Beech family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN 2ab(ii,iii)].
Morphology and biology. Tree up to 30 m; bark brownish grey with longitudinal, often spirally curved, fissures. Leaves 8–15 × 5–8 cm, oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate; petioles 1.5–3 cm; lamina glabrescent but lepidote beneath, with 12-23 pairs of lateral veins. Nut, brown with a paler base, shining; cupules green, covered with long, branched spines.Fl. VI–VII, fr. IX–X. Wind pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Participates in forests in the upper part of the oak and the beech belts on well drained soil. Forms forests alone or together with Fagus sylvatica, Platanus orientalis and other deciduous tree species.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Balkan Range (Western), Belasitsa Mts., Slavyanka Mts., Valleu of Mesta River, Pirin Mts., Rhodopi Mts. (Western). The natural origin of chestnut in Berkovitsa Balkan (Western Balkan Range) is disputable.
General distribution. S Europe, Mediterranean region, SW Asia, Caucasus. Cultivated and escaped in the wild in C, W and N Europe.
Threats. The sanitary state of the chestnut forests is not good and the trees suffer from fungal disease.
Conservation measures taken. The chestnut forests in Belasitsa Mt. are within the borders of Belasitza Nature Park and in sites of the European Ecological Network NATURA 2000.
Conservation measures needed. Detailed study of the chorology, biology and ecology of the species, the numerical strength and area of its populations; long-term monitoring; collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Jordan 1923-24; Bonded 1966; Nedyalkov 1984; Vassilev et al. 2008.
Author: Dessislava Dimitrova
