Treasured ‘Chest’

Anyone loves the smell of freshly roasted chestnuts?

Roasted chestnuts may not exactly be a festive favourite in Singapore, but did you know there are some chestnuts that grow in Singapore? While these may not be the commonly eaten chestnut (Castanea mollissima), locally known as gao lak, these species are native to Singapore and are an important part of our local biodiversity.

Let’s learn more about these local chestnuts this season.

Braided Chestnut

Castanopsis_inermis_Izzul_Haq_Abdullah_1

Photo: Izzul Haq Abdullah

The Braided Chestnut (Castanopsis inermis) is a tree that grows to 16 to 30 m tall and is a tropical member of the oak family that can be found in Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The Braided Chestnut has cupules (outer layers) with three to four lobes marked with curving bands, enclosing the fruits completely. The fruits form in clusters of one to four, and densely covered with reddish-brown hair.

It has insect-pollinated flowers and is the preferred local food plant for caterpillars of the butterfly, the Ciliate Blue (Anthene emolus) and the moth Calliteara angulata. As part of habitat enhancement and conservation efforts for this Critically Endangered native species, it has been planted in Chestnut Nature Park.

Greater Malayan Chestnut

Greater Malayan Chestnut fruit - Reuben Lim cropped Castanopsis megacarpa - Reuben Lim enhanced

Photo credit: Reuben Lim

The Greater Malayan Chestnut (Castanopsis megacarpa) is a tree that grows up to 36 m tall. It has fissured bark and may also have buttress roots. Native to Singapore, it occurs locally in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. It can also be found in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

The Greater Malayan Chestnut has cupules with branched spines and enclose the egg-shaped fruits completely. It has insect-pollinated flowers and can be propagated by seeds.

Chinese Water Chestnut

Eleocharis dulcis_Vicky Lim Yen Ngoh (1) Eleocharis_dulcis_Jennie_Tang Photo credit: Vicky Lim Yen Ngoh and Jennie Tang Yurue

The Chinese Water Chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) is an aquatic plant with cylindrical straw-coloured flowers in clusters. Occurring locally in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, it grows in open wet habitats such as freshwater swamps and ponds.

The plant is leafless. With the absence of leaves, photosynthesis is carried out by the culms or stems. These culms are grayish-green, smooth and hollow in the middle, and can grow up to 60 cm in height. It produces corms (underground tubers) that are sweet-tasting and can be eaten raw or cooked in stuffings, soups, salads, or steamed as a vegetable dish.

Learning More

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Treasured ‘Chest’

National Parks Board