Description: This hickory wood is actually hickory. Although it is grown in the Chinese mountains the grain pattern is very similar to American Hickory.
C. cathayensis Sargent. "Ye qi shu" (Wild lacquer tree) (in Anhui province). Chinese hickory.
Chinese hickory was first described by Sargent (1916) based on collections by F. N. Meyer (Meyer 1521, collected July 8-12, 1915, maintained at U.S. Nat. Herb. and Gray Herb.). Sargent tentatively placed the species in the Section Apocarya, noting similarities between Chinese hickory and C. myristiciformis (the nutmeg hickory of North America) that "connect Eucarya and Apocarya, which without these intermediate forms might be considered distinct genera
Chinese hickory is distributed in Zhejiang Province, making it the most eastern of Asian hickories. The species has been collected frequently in the Tien Mu Shan area near Chang Hua, Linan County, Zhejiang Province (Sargent, 1916; Stone, 1962). It has also been found in Chun An, Zhejiang (Stone, 1962). It is reported from southeastern Anhui Province (Kuang and Li, 1979). Specimens collected from Guizhou Province (Y. Tsiang 6467 and Handel-Mazzetti 2151) which had been identified as C. cathayensis are believed to be C. hunanensis, and have been annotated as such by Grauke.
Chinese hickory is cultivated in Zhejiang Province, with much of the production coming from Linan County. According to Xu Rongzhang of the Linan County Forestry Institute, 16,000 Ha of trees produce 5000 tons of nuts. Most of the production comes from the area around Chang Hua, where 30% of the income is attributed to hickory. Most trees are wild, and are grown at densities of 15/mu (with 15mu/Ha, or 225 trees/Ha). Mature trees typically produce 30-50 kg/mu (450-750 kg/Ha). In test fields with improved methods, yeilds of 1470-3360 kg/Ha have been obtained. Important research objectives include: improving yields, improving fertility, enhancing pollination, and controlling pests. Nuts of Chinese hickory are eaten roasted and made into various candies. Oil from the nuts is used in cooking and in the production of paint (Kuang and Li, 1979), a use reflected in the common name for the tree in Anhui province.
GREEN