Castanopsis indica (Roxb. ex Lindl.) A.DC., J. Bot. 1: 182 (1863)

Synonyms
Castanea indica Roxb. ex Lindl.
Castanea indica Roxb. [Illegitimate]
Castanopsis indica (Roxb.) Miq.
Castanopsis macrostachya Hu
Castanopsis subacuminata Hayata
Quercus acutissima var. roxburghii (Endl.) Schottky
Quercus acutissima subsp. roxburghii (Endl.) A.Camus
Quercus dubia Lindl. ex Wall. [Invalid]
Quercus indica (Roxb. ex Lindl.) Drake
Quercus prinodes Voigt
Quercus roxburghii Endl.
Quercus serrata Roxb. [Illegitimate]
Quercus serrata var. roxburghii (Endl.) A.DC.

Diagnostics
Trees with slightly fissured bark. Twigs densely hairy. Stipules long, slightly curved, rounded tip, c. 5 mm long. Petioles short, c. 5-10 mm. Leaves alternate, simple, up to 20 by 10 cm, widest point above the center, lower surface whitish, whole margin clearly toothed. Male flowers in racemes. Fruits completely enclosed by cupule, c. 4 cm, containing 1-2 nuts, splitting into 4 parts, cupule covered by spines of up to 1.5 cm long.

Description
Trees up to c. 25 m tall, branches ascending, bole straight. Bark brown or silvery grey, more or less fissured, inner bark fibrous, pale orange soon darkening.; young shoots, petioles, leaf blades abaxially, and rachis of inflorescences yellowish brown puberulent. Stipules dropped, c. 5 mm long. Petiole 5-10(-15) mm; leaf blade ovate-elliptic, elliptic, or sometimes obovate-elliptic, 9-20 by (4-)6-10 cm, thickly papery, abaxially puberulent or glabrescent, base cuneate to rounded and usually inaequilateral, margin serrate except basally entire, apex mucronate to acuminate; midvein adaxially impressed; secondary veins 15-25 on each side of midvein. Female inflorescence ca. 40 cm. Infructescences dense, 10-27 cm. Cupule globose, 3.5-4 cm in diam., usually splitting into 4 segments when mature, wall ca. 1 mm thick; bracts spinelike, entirely covering cupule, to 1.5 cm, straight or bent, base connate into bundles. Nut 1(or 2) per cupule, broadly conical, 1-1.4 cm in diam., densely hairy; scar covering ca. 1/4 of nut. [from Flora of China]

Ecology
Broad-leaved evergreen forests; below 1500 m.

Uses
The wood is resistant to termites and may be used in construction and furniture making. Fruits edible in the cooked state.

Distribution
From India and Nepal to Southern China and Taiwan into Indochina (Burma, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam).

Local names
China: Yin du zhui.
Nepal: Dhale katus.