Randy, I have suspected since I first saw the Dillingham trees that they were not a pure native chestnut. It is notable, especially in the leaves. Like you, I have noticed that the burrs on Asian trees are courser than the American ones. Another difference is the American Chestnuts are somewhat smaller than their Asian cousins.
Thanks for helping me id the Dillingham trees. I have been scratching my head on their exact id for awhile. While I don't think they are pure Asian, they have some Asian characteristics. Some in the leaf and as you have confirmed, in the burrs. The nut itself is more American in size. The leaf also is thin and hairless like the American though it has a shape a bit like the Asian types. My conclusion, a hybrid. They are some introduced trees ( Norway Spruce and White Cedar ) in a field nearby and I think the forest service may have planted them years ago at the fields edge and the forest has overtook them. Years back before TACF started experimenting with the backcross method many people planted Chinese+American hybrids. These ( Dillingham ) trees are pretty big and have been here for some time. Incidentally the growth form of the Dillingham trees are a bit different than most of the Americans I have seen. Americans are tall and straight. These are a bit more bushed out. Russ mentioned that to me in a post awhile back. James P. On Nov 12, 8:34 pm, Randy Brown <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > James, > > I have an Asian and Pure America chestnut trees on my property that > finally both bore nuts this year (after 15 years!). I took pictures > of them this fall for a comparison. Asian on the left, american on > the right: > > _MG_1758.jpg > 204KViewDownload > > IMG_1754.jpg > 231KViewDownload > > > > In comparison the Dillingham burrs look pretty asian: > The asian spines are hard, stiff and needlike and will stick you > painfully if you push on them. The american in contrast are quite > fine and > will bend with out sticking(too much) if you push on them. Kind of > like prickly fur. > > Dillingham.jpg > 125KViewDownload > > > > On Oct 19, 2008, at 7:40 PM, James Parton wrote: > > > > > ENTS, > > > To add, On the picture with the chestnuts on the table the left ones > > are Chinese and the smaller ones on the right are the ones from the > > Dillingham ( American? ) tree. Google omitted part of the pictures > > file name. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org You are subscribed to the Google Groups "ENTSTrees" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
