CHestnuts

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Occurrences

CHestnuts

Additional Notes

This is probably NOT a reference to the Chestnut that we commonly associate with “roasted Chestnuts”, or the tree prized for its furniture grade lumber and nearly extirpated from the United States by disease early in the 20th century. That tree. American chestnut [Castanea dentata] does not occur in the coastal plain of North Carolina. Rather, this is more likely a reference to the dwarf chestnut [Castanea pumila] known since early colonial time by its Indian name, Chinquapin. Chinquapin is a small tree found in dry woodlands and among the stabilized sand dunes of the Outer Banks. It is noted for its small, very sweet, nuts.
Thinkapin, Chinquapin, Chinkapin Castanea pumila (L.) Miller1 1 Radford, et al. (1968) ‘Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas’, Chapel Hill. SUMMARY: Lawson gives the best description. Contemporary illustrations could be a photo of the plant collected by Lawson (1710), or the line drawing (c. 1680) of Banister’s plant as cited in Ray and illustrated in a line drawing in Plukenet: Phyt., t.156, f.2: “D. Banister..”
Ewan-Banister - From: Joseph and Nesta Ewan, Univ. Illinois Press, Urbana, Ill., 1970 John Banister And His Natural History of Virginia 1678-1692. LC 77-94395 p.166 List (1679?) in Banister’s Hand of Plants Sent to Morison. [VB NB: I have transcribed only selected plants from this list. Others may be of interest.] Sassafras. Styrax Aceris folio. Smilax aspera laurifoliis. [NB: and many more.] p.167 Catalogus Stirpium Rariorum in Virginia sponte nascentium Inchoatus ADmi. MDCLXXIX [-MDCXCII]. Quibus praefigitur Asteriscus, sunt Plantae a Nostratibus vel Indigenis vel passim cultae. (List follows in alphabetical order.) p.177 Castanea pumilis racemosa fructo parvo in singulis capsulis echinatis unico. The Chinquapin. [NB: Several specimens attributed to Banister in several English herbaria. p.257 Chincapin = Castanea pumila (L.) Miller, a lost drawing probably reproduced by Plukenet, Phty., t.156, f.2: “D. Banister.” [NB: This image should be in Joyner Library in Plukenet “Phytographia”, 1691.
Ray, ‘Historia Plantarum’, c.1704? - XXV Arbores Iuliferae p.7 1. Castanea humilis Virginiana, racemoso fructu parvo, in singulis capsulis echinatis unico. D. Banister. The Chinquapin-Bush
Lawson - John Lawson included a specimen of Chinquapin among the plants that he sent to James Petiver in the summer of 1710 [Sloane Herbarium HS145-59-4]1. The specimen exhibits mature female flowers and was probably collected just before he shipped the specimens to England in July. Lawson had returned to New Bern, from Virginia, in June 1710 accompanied by the Palatines. There, he collected many specimens in the vicinity of the Neuse and Trent Rivers. It is likely that this specimen was part of this collection. 1 Good photo of this specimen can be obtained from ECU Lawson Plants CDs. Lawson (Lefler, 1967) mentions ‘chinquapin’ on pages 24, 34, 105, 109, and 118. Lefler lists an alternative spelling as “thinkapin’. p.24 Lawson and party spent the night at “Scipio’s Hutt” on the South Carolina coast. The company made itself ‘at home’ and in the absence of its proprietor made free use of his supplies including “Thinkapin nuts”. p.34 Lawson and party visit the “Queen of the Congerees” where the found a “good store of Chinkapin-Nuts, which they gather in Winter great Quantities of, drying them; so keep these Nuts in great Baskets for their use; . . . p.105 “Chinkapin is a sort of Chestnut, whose Nuts are most commonly very plentiful; insomuch as the Hogs get fat with them. They are smaller and rounder than a Chestnut, but much sweeter. The Wood is much of the Nature of Chestnut, having a Leaf and Grain almost like it. It is used to timber Boats, Shallops, &. And makes any thing that is to endure the Weather. This and Hiccory are very good Rods used to whip Horses withal; yet their Wood, in Substance, is very brittle. This Tree the Vine much delights to twist about. It’s good Fire-Wood, but very sparkling, as well as Sassafras.” 109. Chinkapin “mention’d before” 118. “The Mulberries and Chinkapin are tough, and trimme’d to what you please, therefore fit Supporters of the vines.” [Grape].
Lederer, R.M., Jr., 1985. ‘Colonial American English’ A Verbatum Book, Essex Conn. - p.49 chinquapin (n.) The dwarf chestnut. An adaptation of an Algonquian word. In 1709 John Lawson observed:net. “Chinkapin is a sort of Chestnut, whose Nuts are most commonly very plentiful; insomuch as the Hogs get fat on them.”
The above notations are all courtesy of the research of Dr. Vince Bellis

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