Corylus americana
Fruits
The American hazel or American hazelnut (Corylus americana ) is a large shrub of the birch family and is similar to the ordinary European hazel (Corylus avellana ). Its distribution area is located in Canada and the eastern United States.
Description
The American hazel is a 3 meters, rarely to 5 m tall shrub with light gray, smooth bark and glandular hairy young shoots. The winter buds are broadly ovate, 3-4 mm long and as wide with a rounded tip. The leaves have a 0.8 to 1.5 cm long, hairy stem. The leaf blade is 5-16 cm long and 4-12 cm wide, broadly ovate, shortly acuminate with heart-shaped or rounded base and an irregular double serrated leaf edge. The upper leaf surface is somewhat hairy, the bottom soft. The male flowers are long in 4 to 8 inches and placed 0.5 to 0.8 centimeters by measuring kitten. The nuts grow in clusters of two to five. They are spherical, 1.5 inches thick and surrounded by a twice as long, irregularly lobed and have grown together at the base, leaf -like sheath.
Distribution and location
The distribution area extends from Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada through the center and the east to the southeastern United States. Where it grows in species-poor forests up to 750 meters on moderately dry to moderately moist, slightly acidic to alkaline, nutrient-rich soils in sunny to partially shaded, cool - balanced locations. The species is hardy and tolerates urban climates, but avoids sandy and clayey substrates.
System
The American hazel (Corylus americana ) is a species of the genus hazel (Corylus ) in the birch family ( Betulaceae ). It is assigned to the section Corylus, Corylus subsection. It was first described in 1785 by Thomas Walter.
Use
The American hazel is rarely used forestry. It is used because of its fruits as an ornamental plant and also serves as bee pasture. The nuts are smaller but of similar quality to the commercially cultivated varieties ( Corylus maxima and Corylus colurna).