About Castanopsis sieboldii (Makino) Hatus.
Castanopsis sieboldii (Makino) Hatus. is a species of flowering plant in the family Fagaceae. This evergreen tree is sometimes called by the common names Itajii chinkapin or Itajii. It is native to Japan (including the Ryukyu Islands) and Korea. It is a climax species that is commonly found in Japan's temperate rainforest, and specimens also grow within the forest area of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. It was once classified as a subspecies of the similar species Castanopsis cuspidata. A number of other plants and animals are associated with Castanopsis sieboldii. Mitrastemon yamamotoi, a non-photosynthetic plant, parasitizes this tree. Aspidistra elatior, commonly known as the cast-iron plant, grows in the understorey beneath C. sieboldii. The larvae of three Asian moth species—Acrocercops mantica, Chrysocercops castanopsidis, and Lymantria albescens—likely mine the leaves of this tree. Amantis nawai, a small praying mantis species native to Eastern Asia, is known to live around C. sieboldii, where it hunts and eats insects. The Okinawa rail, a bird native to Japan, lives among stands of these trees.
