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Carpinus fangiana
Carpinus fangiana, Fang hornbeam, is a handsome, large-leafed member of the Betulaceae; one of its most striking features is its pendent, tail-like fruiting catkins.
Hornbeams are noted for their small leaves with impressed veins and terminal, bracteate catkins. In some species, the bracts surrounding the nutlets are lobed and showy, while in others, smaller and leaf-like. In Carpinus fangiana the large leaves, closely set with pinnate veins, are the perfect foil for its enormous, leafy catkins (to 50 cm long). This rare species is native to central and western China, where it grows on wooded limestone hills. It has been only recently introduced to cultivation.
