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Common Hazel

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Plants

                  iCommon Hazel
   Common Hazel leaves and nuts
   Common Hazel leaves and nuts

                             Conservation status

   Secure
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Plantae
   Division: Magnoliophyta
   Class:    Magnoliopsida
   Order:    Fagales
   Family:   Betulaceae
   Genus:    Corylus
   Species:  C. avellana

                                Binomial name

   Corylus avellana
   L.
   Male catkins on Common Hazel
   Enlarge
   Male catkins on Common Hazel

   The Common Hazel (Corylus avellana) is a species of hazel native to
   Europe and Asia. It is typically a shrub reaching 3-8 m tall, but can
   reach 15 m on occasion. The leaves are deciduous, rounded, 6-12 cm long
   and across, softly hairy on both surfaces, and with a double-serrate
   margin.

   The flowers are produced very early in spring before the leaves and are
   monoecious, with single-sex catkins, the male pale yellow and 5-12 cm
   long, the female very small and largely concealed in the buds, with
   only the bright red 1-3 mm long styles visible. The fruit is a nut,
   produced in clusters of one to five together, each nut held in a short
   leafy involucre ('husk') which encloses about three quarters of the
   nut. The nut is roughly spherical to oval, 15-25 mm long and 12-20 mm
   broad, yellow-brown with a pale scar at the base. The nut falls out of
   the involucre when ripe, about 7-8 months after pollination. It is
   readily distinguished from the closely related Filbert (Corylus maxima)
   by the short involucre; in the Filbert the nut is fully enclosed by a
   beak-like involucre longer than the nut.

   Common Hazel is used by a number of species of Lepidoptera as a food
   plant.

   The name of the species, avellana is derived from Avellino, a place in
   Italy.

Cultivation and uses

   The Common Hazel is an important component of the hedgerows that were
   the traditional field boundaries in lowland England. The wood was
   traditionally grown as coppice, the poles cut being used for
   wattle-and-daub building and agricultural fencing.
   Female flower on Common hazel, Wales February 20, 2005
   Enlarge
   Female flower on Common hazel, Wales February 20, 2005

   Common Hazel is cultivated for its nuts in commercial orchards in
   Turkey, Europe, China and Australia. The name "hazelnut" applies to the
   nuts of any of the species of the genus Corylus. This hazelnut or
   cobnut, the kernel of the seed, is edible and used raw or roasted, or
   ground into a paste. The seed has a thin, dark brown skin which has a
   bitter flavour and is sometimes removed before cooking. The top
   producer of hazelnuts, by a large margin, is Turkey. Turkish hazelnut
   production of 625,000 tonnes accounts for approximately 75% of
   worldwide production (World Hazelnut Situation and Outlook, USDA 2004).
   Hazelnuts
   Enlarge
   Hazelnuts

   In the United States, hazelnut production is concentrated in two
   states, Oregon and Washington; however, they are also grown extensively
   just to the north, in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. In
   1996 the production in Oregon was about 40,000 tonnes (in shell)
   compared to 200 tonnes in Washington. Recent orchard plantings in
   California are likely to increase production in the USA. The hazelnut
   is also growing in popularity in the USA with a Hazelnut Council set up
   to promote its use. The harvesting of hazelnuts is either by hand in
   rural communities, or by manual or mechanical raking of fallen nuts.

   Hazelnuts are extensively used in confectionery to make praline and
   also used in combination with chocolate for chocolate truffles and
   products such as Nutella.

   In Austria and especially in Vienna hazelnut paste is an important
   ingredient in the world famous torts (such as Viennese hazelnut tort)
   which are made there.
   Hazelnuts, with shell (left), without shell (right)
   Enlarge
   Hazelnuts, with shell (left), without shell (right)

   Hazelnut is also becoming popular as an addition to the range of
   coffees drunk by the modern café society with Hazel latte becoming
   popular. The popularity of Hazelnut liqueur, based on a vodka, is now
   increasing especially in eastern Europe.

   In the USA production of hazelnut butter is seen as an alternative,
   tasty and more nutritious than its peanut butter counterpart.
   Common Hazel - from Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der
   Schweiz, 1885
   Enlarge
   Common Hazel - from Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der
   Schweiz, 1885

   In Australia over 2000 tonnes are imported annually mostly to supply
   the demand from the Cadbury company for inclusion in its eponymous milk
   chocolate bar which is the third most popular brand in Australia.
   Hazelnut oil, pressed from hazelnuts, is strongly flavoured and used as
   a cooking oil.

   Hazelnuts are also grown extensively in Australia in orchards growing
   varieties mostly imported from Europe.
         Hazelnuts (edible parts)
   Nutritional value per 100 g
        Energy 630 kcal   2630 kJ

   Carbohydrates                   17 g
   - Dietary fibre  10 g
   Fat                             61 g
   - saturated  4 g
   - monounsaturated  46 g
   - polyunsaturated  8 g
   Protein                         15 g
   Thiamin (Vit. B1)  0.6 mg       46%
   Riboflavin (Vit. B2)  0.11 mg   7%
   Niacin (Vit. B3)  1.8 mg        12%
   Vitamin B6  0.6 mg              46%
   Folate (Vit. B9)  113 μg        28%
   Calcium  114 mg                 11%
   Phosphorus  290 mg              41%
   Potassium  680 mg               14%
      Percentages are relative to US
   recommendations for adults.
   Source: USDA Nutrient database

   Hazelnuts are rich in protein and unsaturated fat. Moreover, they
   contain significant amounts of thiamine and vitamin B6, as well as
   smaller amounts of other B vitamins. Additionally, for those persons
   who need to restrict carbohydrates, 250 ml of hazelnut flour has 20 g
   of carbohydrates, 12 g fibre, for less than 10 net carbohydrates.

   There are many cultivars of the Hazel, including 'Barcelona', 'Butler',
   'Casina', 'Clark' 'Cosford', 'Daviana', 'Delle Langhe', 'England',
   'Ennis', 'Halls Giant', 'Jemtegaard', 'Lewis', 'Tokolyi', 'Tonda
   Gentile', 'Tonda di Giffoni', 'Tonda Romana', 'Wanliss Pride', and
   'Willamette'. Some of these are grown for specific qualities of the nut
   including early and late fruiting cultivars, whereas other are gown as
   pollinators. The majority of commercial Hazelnuts are grown as grafts
   onto stock of the Turkish Hazel (Corylus colurna), because of its non
   suckering habit.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Hazel"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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