CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY TREE STUDY KIT
CHINQUAPIN
Background information:
- Chinquapin is in the Oak Family.
- It may be considered a large shrub or a small tree.
- The species name of the tree found in Marin is chrysophylla which means yellow leaf.
The undersides of the leaf are a striking yellow.
Another species grows in the Sierra Nevada.
- The nuts inside the spiny cases were eaten roasted and raw by Native
Americans or ground into meal. They were also stored in the shell as a winter source of
food.