Corylus cornuta
| Corylus cornuta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Beaked Hazel foliage | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Betulaceae |
| Genus: | Corylus |
| Species: | C. cornuta |
| Binomial name | |
| Corylus cornuta Marshall | |
 | |
| Natural range of Corylus cornuta | |
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 2,629 kJ (628 kcal) |
|
22.98 g | |
| Dietary fiber | 9.8 g |
|
52.99 g | |
|
14.89 g | |
| Vitamins | |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(42%) 0.480 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(13%) 0.160 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(21%) 3.190 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(42%) 0.550 mg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(44%) 441 mg |
| Iron |
(24%) 3.12 mg |
| Magnesium |
(66%) 235 mg |
| Manganese |
(362%) 7.600 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(59%) 411 mg |
| Potassium |
(16%) 738 mg |
| Sodium |
(0%) 2 mg |
| Zinc |
(22%) 2.06 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| Water | 5.92 g |
|
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Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database | |
Corylus cornuta (Beaked Hazel) is a deciduous shrubby hazel found in most of North America, from southern Canada south to Georgia and California. It grows in dry woodlands and forest edges and can reach 4–8 metres (13–26 ft) tall with stems 10–25 centimetres (3.9–9.8 in) thick with smooth gray bark. The leaves are rounded oval, coarsely double-toothed, 5–11 centimetres (2.0–4.3 in) long and 3–8 centimetres (1.2–3.1 in) broad, with hairy undersides. The flowers are catkins that form in the fall and pollinate in the following spring.
Corylus cornuta is named from its fruit, which is a nut enclosed in a husk with a tubular extension 2–4 centimetres (0.79–1.57 in) long that resembles a beak. Tiny filaments protrude from the husk and may stick into, and irritate, skin that contacts them. The spherical nuts, which are surrounded by a hard shell, are edible.
There are two varieties:[1]
- Corylus cornuta var. cornuta – Eastern Beaked Hazel. Small shrub, 4 to 6 m tall;[1] 'beak' longer, 3 cm or more.
- Corylus cornuta var. californica – Western Beaked Hazel or California Hazelnut. Large shrub, 4 to 15 m tall;[1] 'beak' shorter, usually less than 3 cm. The Concow tribe called this variety gōm’-he’’-ni (Konkow language).[2]
The seeds are dispersed by jays and rodents such as red squirrels and least chipmunks.[1] Although C. cornuta is somewhat shade tolerant, it is more common in open forests than denser ones.[1] Fire kills the above-ground portion of the shrub, but it resprouts fairly readily after fire, and in fact American Indians in California and Oregon used fire to encourage hazelnut growth, as they used hazelnuts for food, baskets, medicine, and other purposes.[1]
Nut
Wings
Catkins
Female flower
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fryer, Janet L. (2007). "Corylus cornuta". Fire Effects Information System.
- ↑ Chesnut, Victor King (1902). Plants used by the Indians of Mendocino County, California. Government Printing Office. p. 405. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
External links
Media related to Corylus cornuta at Wikimedia Commons- USDA Plants Profile for Corylus cornuta (beaked hazelnut)
- CalFlora Database: Corylus cornuta ssp. californica
- Jepson eFlora treatment of Corylus cornuta ssp. californica
- UC Photos gallery: Corylus cornuta