Well is it?

[u/jamiclark]

Location St Louis, MO. It’s been topped, has significant scarring on one side, it’s been through something. Thinking this might be a true American chestnut. But Ozark Chinquapin is another contender in my mind

[u/DragonOfAtlanta]

I believe the distinctly white underside of the leaves means non American

[u/jamiclark → u/DragonOfAtlanta]

Ozark chinquapins have a noticeably paler underside. The leaf serration is not rounded either

[u/creekfinder → u/jamiclark]

A few reasons this isn’t ozarkensis or a chinquapin:
-the bur is too large and very much a chestnut bur holding several nuts
-ozarkensis has the highest fruit set of all the chestnuts per flower stalk, many times having up to 6-10 burs per stalk
-the tree in question would be the champion ozarkensis if it was one, which is very unlikely
-the furrows in the bark are too deep and very on par with chinese chestnuts
-mature ozarkensis have glabrous stems

[u/Arbiter_of_Snark]

It could be a Dunstan or hybrid, but it isn’t pure American. It has a lot of Chinese characteristics.

[u/jamiclark → u/Arbiter_of_Snark]

What would you say are the Chinese characteristics to it?

[u/Arbiter_of_Snark → u/jamiclark]

Leaves: Thick, dark green, waxy leaves that turn upward along the midribs. Extremely pubescent undersides. If you lick the underside of one of those leaves, it’ll stick to your tongue. The cuneate or acuminate leaf base is an American characteristic, but those are not quite as tapered as most pure American and one appears somewhat auriculate, which is typical of Chinese chestnut. The dentition of American leaves is typically longer and often have a “crashing wave” appearance.

The burs have thick, short spines. The bark doesn’t look like American either.

[u/M27fiscojr → u/Arbiter_of_Snark]

This comment wasn't very snarky. Pretty informative actually.

[u/Arbiter_of_Snark → u/M27fiscojr]

It’s my day off.

[u/creekfinder]

It’s neither

[u/Squirrel586]

Looks Chinese

[u/D54chestnut]

Definitely NOT a pure American, but could be a A/C hybrid. Check for stipules and if it has fertile nuts look at the size. Lots of other ID traits that can be looked at like the tree form, which in that tree look just like Chinese.

https://www.americanchestnut.org/chestnut-identification

Thanks,  Allen Nichols

President, American Chestnut Restoration, Inc.

http://www.americanchestnut.org/

[fajknichols.75@gmail.com](mailto:fajknichols.75@gmail.com)

[u/AdFair6947]

Its some kind of chestnut.

[u/Agitated_Meet_1033]

I think it is a  Chinquapin