Chrysolepis is aLittle genus in the fagaceae Fagaceae, endemic to the western United States, occurring from american Washington south to southern California. It is evergreen trees and shrubs with simple, entire (unnotched) leaves with a heavy layer of golden scales on a bottom (hence the genus title, from either Greek chryso-, yellow, & lepis, shell) & a thinly layer on the upper side; the leaves persist for Three-Four years prior to falling. A fruit is a densely spiny cupule containing usually triad sweetly, victuals nuts.

Chrysolepis is related to the semitropic sou'-east Asian genus Castanopsis (inside which it was erstwhile involved), however differs inside the nuts existence triangular & fully enclosed in the sectional cupule, & in getting epicene catkins. Chrysolepis likewise differs from either an additional allied genus Castanea (chestnuts), in nuts that take 14-16 months to mature (3-5 months in Castanea), evergreen leaves and the shoots having a terminal bud.

There are deuce metal money Chrysolepis chrysophylla (Golden Chinquapin) & Chrysolepis sempervirens (Bush Chinquapin). A title 'chinquapin' is too another time spelled 'chinquapin'.

A Golden Chinquapin Chrysolepis chrysophylla is the tree reaching 20-40 m tall, or even for instance a bush Three-10 m tall. It occurs inside coastal areas of the Pacific Coast Ranges from Washington (touching Seattle) south to San Luis Obispo, but likewise by having the little disjunct people in the Sierra Nevada east of Sacramento. It grows at moo elevations, from either sea level to 1,500 m, seldom 2,000 m. A leaves come 6-12 cm yearn, by owning an intense (sharp-pointed) apex. A bark is thick & rough in.

A Bush Chinquapin Chrysolepis sempervirens is a shrub only 1-Two m tall. It occurs around interior sou'west Oregon & California, in the Klamath Mountains, Sierra Nevada and San Jacinto Mountains. It grows mostly at high elevation, 1,000-3,000 k altitude. A leaves come little, Four-8 cm yearn, sustaining an obtuse (blunt-pointed or even fat) apex. A bark is thinly & smooth.