Corylus avellana
484546
224875681
2008-07-10T20:15:54Z
Imc
17145
Move insect use from botany section to uses.
{{Taxobox
| name = Common Hazel
| status = secure
| image = Corylus avellana.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Common Hazel leaves and nuts
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Fagales]]
| familia = [[Betulaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Hazel|Corylus]]''
| species = '''''C. avellana'''''
| binomial = ''Corylus avellana''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
The '''Common Hazel''' ('''''Corylus avellana''''') is a species of [[hazel]] native to [[Europe]] and western [[Asia]], from the [[British Isles]] south to [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]], [[Greece]], [[Turkey]] and [[Cyprus]], north to central [[Scandinavia]], and east to the central [[Ural Mountains]], the [[Caucasus]], and northwestern [[Iran]].<ref name=rushforth>Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.</ref><ref name=dvf>Den Virtuella Floran: [http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/coryla/coryl/coryavev.jpg map]</ref><ref name=tfl>[[Trees for Life (Scotland)|Trees for Life]] [http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/tfl.hazel.html Hazel species profile]</ref>
==Botany==
[[Image:Hazel Catkins aka.jpg|left|thumb|Male catkins on Common Hazel]]
Common hazel is typically a [[shrub]] reaching 3-8 m tall, but can reach 15 m. The [[leaf|leaves]] are [[deciduous]], rounded, 6-12 cm long and across, softly hairy on both surfaces, and with a double-serrate margin. The [[flower]]s are produced very early in spring, before the leaves, and are [[plant sexuality|monoecious]] with single-sex wind-pollinated [[catkin]]s. Male catkins are pale yellow and 5-12 cm long, while female catkins are very small and largely concealed in the [[bud]]s with only the bright red 1-3 mm long [[Carpel|style]]s visible. The [[fruit]] is a [[nut (fruit)|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, 15-20 mm long and 12-20 mm broad (larger, up to 25 mm long, in some cultivated selections), yellow-brown with a pale [[scar]] at the base. The nut falls out of the [[involucre]] when ripe, about 7-8 months after [[pollination]].<ref name=rushforth/><ref name=tfl/><ref name=fnwe>Flora of NW Europe: [http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=1775 ''Corylus avellana'']</ref>
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.<ref name=rushforth/>
The scientific name ''avellana'' derives from the town of [[Avella]] in [[Italy]],<ref name=afm2>Mitchell, A. F. (1982). ''The Trees of Britain and Northern Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-219037-0</ref> and was selected by Linnaeus from [[Leonhart Fuchs]]'s ''De historia stirpium commentarii insignes'' (1542), where the species was described as "''Avellana nux sylvestris''" ("wild nut of Avella").<ref name=cl>Linnaeus, C. (1753). ''[[Species Plantarum]]'' p. 998.</ref>
==Cultivation and uses==
[[Image:2005hazelnut.PNG|thumb|right|Hazelnut output in 2005]]
The Common Hazel is an important component of the [[hedgerow]]s 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 [[fence|fencing]].<ref name=rushforth/>
[[Image:Hazel Flower Female.jpg|left|thumb|Female flower on Common hazel, [[Wales]] [[February 20]] [[2005]]]]
{{nutritionalvalue | name=Hazelnuts (edible parts) | kJ=2629 | protein=15 g | fat=61 g | carbs=17 g | fibre=10 g | segars=4 g | satfat=4 g | monofat=46 g | polyfat=8 g | calcium_mg=114 | iron_mg=4.7 | potassium_mg=680 | phosphorus_mg=290 | thiamin_mg=0.6 | riboflavin_mg=0.11 | niacin_mg=1.8 | vitB6_mg=0.6 | folate_ug=113 | right=1 | source_usda=1 }}
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 [[carbohydrate]]s, 1 cup (237 ml) of hazelnut flour has 20 g of carbohydrates, 12 g [[fibre]], for less than 10 net carbohydrates.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EDI2N0#nutrition-facts Nutrition Facts, Bob's Red Mill All-Natural Hazelnut Meal/Flour (Amazon.com)]</ref>
There are many [[cultivar]]s of the Hazel, including 'Barcelona', 'Butler', 'Casina', 'Clark' 'Cosford', 'Daviana', 'Delle Langhe', 'England', 'Ennis', Fillbert, 'Halls Giant', 'Jemtegaard', 'Kent Cob', 'Lewis', 'Tokolyi', 'Tonda Gentile', 'Tonda di Giffoni', 'Tonda Romana', 'Wanliss Pride', and 'Willamette'.<ref name=rhs>Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.</ref> Some of these are grown for specific qualities of the nut including large nut size, and early and late fruiting cultivars, whereas other are grown as pollinators. The majority of commercial Hazelnuts are propagated from root sprouts.<ref name=rhs/> Some cultivars are of [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] origin between Common Hazel and Filbert.<ref name=fnwe/>
[[Image:Hazelnuts.jpg|thumb|left|Hazelnuts]]
Common Hazel is cultivated for its nuts in [[commerce|commercial]] [[orchard]]s in [[Europe]], [[Turkey]], [[Iran]] and [[Caucasus]]. The name "hazelnut" applies to the nuts of any of the species of the genus ''Corylus''. This hazelnut or cobnut, the [[seed|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 [[basic taste#Bitterness|bitter]] flavour and is sometimes removed before cooking. The top producer of hazelnuts, by a large margin, is Turkey, specifically the [[Ordu Province]]. Turkish hazelnut production of 625,000 [[tonne]]s accounts for approximately 75% of worldwide production.<ref>''World Hazelnut Situation and Outlook'', USDA 2004</ref>
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 [[As of 1996|1996]] the in-shell production in Oregon was about 19,900 [[short ton|ton]]s (18,000 tonnes) compared to 100 tons (91 tonnes) in Washington.<ref>[http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/fruit/zfp-bb/hazl0896.txt Hazelnut Production (8/26/96), USDA NSS report]</ref> Recent orchard plantings in [[California]] are likely to increase production in the USA{{Fact|date=October 2007}}. The hazelnut is also growing in popularity in the USA with a Hazelnut Council set up to promote its use.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} The harvesting of hazelnuts is either by hand in rural communities, or by manual or mechanical raking of fallen nuts.
[[Image:Illustration Corylus avellana0.jpg|thumb|left|Common Hazel - from Thomé, ''Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz'', 1885]]
Hazelnuts are extensively used in [[confectionery]] to make [[praline]] and also used in combination with [[chocolate]] for chocolate [[truffle]]s and products such as [[Nutella]]. In the USA, [[Nut butter|hazelnut butter]] is being promoted as a more nutritious spread than its [[peanut butter]] counterpart, though it has a higher fat content{{Fact|date=October 2007}}. In [[Austria]] and especially in [[Wien|Vienna]] hazelnut paste is an important ingredient in the world famous ''torts'' (such as Viennese hazelnut tort) which are made there. [[Vodka]]-based Hazelnut [[liqueur]]s, such as [[Frangelico]], are also increasing in popularity, especially in the U.S. and eastern [[Europe]].{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
[[Image:Haselnuss Gr 99.jpg|thumb|right|Hazelnuts, with shell (left), without shell (right)]]
Hazelnut is popular as a coffee flavouring, especially in the form of Hazelnut [[latte]]. Hazelnut-flavoured coffee seems (to many users) to be slightly sweetened and less [[acid]]ic, even though the nut is low in natural saccharides{{Fact|date=July 2007}}. The reason for such perception is not yet understood.
In [[Australia]] over 2000 tonnes are imported [[annually]]<ref>[http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/deciduous-fruits/h3149-hazelnut-production.htm Page not available<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> mostly to supply the demand from the [[Cadbury-Schweppes|Cadbury]] company for inclusion in its [[eponym]]ous milk chocolate bar which is the third most popular brand in Australia.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} Hazelnut [[vegetable oil|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]]. It is also grown in [[New Zealand]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.isms.biz/article16.htm | title=Hazelnuts in New Zealand}}</ref> and Chile <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.actahort.org/books/686/686_5.htm | title=Hazelnuts in Chile}}</ref>.
Primitive archers have also used the wood of the hazelnut in the making of arrows. The fine grain and tendency to grow with fairly straight shoots makes them suitable shaft material.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
Common hazel is used by [[List of Lepidoptera that feed on hazels|a number of species]] of [[Lepidoptera]] as a food plant.<ref name=tfl/>
===Harvesting===
{{unreferencedsection|date=October 2007}}
Hazel nuts are harvested annually in mid autumn. As autumn comes to a close, the trees drop their nuts and leaves. Most commercial growers wait for the nuts to drop on their own, rather than use equipment to shake them from the tree.
[[Image:redsweeper.jpg|thumb|left|A sweeper makes its first pass as it centralises the material on the orchard floor]]
There are three primary pieces of equipment used in commercial harvesting; the sweeper, the harvester, and the forklift. The sweeper centralises the material into rows, the harvester lifts and separates the nuts from the debris, and the forklift hauls the nuts away for processing.
The sweeper is a low-to-the-ground tractor that makes multiple passes up and down the rows with a 2 m belt attached to the front that sweeps leaves, nuts, and small twigs from left to right, depositing the material in a row as it drives forward. On the rear of the tractor is a powerful blower that pushes material left into the adjacent row with air speeds up to 90 m/s. Careful grooming during the year and patient blowing at harvest can eliminate the need for hand raking around the trunk of the tree where nuts can accumulate. The sweeper will prepare two rows at a time as it goes up and down the rows. After its final pass, all the material on the ground has been deposited in 60 cm wide rows for the harvester to process. It is best to only sweep a few rows ahead of the harvesters at any given time, as the rows are susceptible to moisture and parasites over time.
[[Image:hazelnutharvester.jpg|thumb|right|A Hazelnut farmer inspects the row for unwanted debris as he drives over it with the harvester]]
The harvester is a slow moving machine that lifts the material off the ground and separates the nuts from the leaves, empty husks, and small twigs. As the harvester drives over the rows, a fast spinning cylinder with hundreds of tines rakes the material onto a belt. The belt takes the material over a blower and under a powerful vacuum that sucks the light weight dirt and leaves off the nuts and discharges it into the orchard. The remaining nuts are conveyed into a tote box.
Once a box fills with nuts, a third tractor will haul away full boxes and bring empties to the harvester to minimise time spent not collecting nuts.
There are two different timing strategies for collecting the fallen nuts. The first option is to harvest early when only half of the nuts have fallen. With less material on the ground, the machines can work much faster and are less subject to breakdown. The other option is to wait for all the nuts to fall and go over the crop once. The first option is easier, but takes longer to perform with two passes.
Ideally, the orchard should not be so dry that an abundance of dust can reduce vision and equipment efficiency. Conversely if it is too wet, mud cakes in the machinery and moisture weighs down the material, making it more difficult to lift and separate.
===Diseases===
{{Main|List of hazelnut diseases}}
==Mesolithic food industry==
In 1995 evidence of large-scale [[Mesolithic]] nut processing, some 9,000 years old, was found in a [[midden]] pit on the island of [[Colonsay]] in [[Scotland]]. The evidence consists of a large, shallow pit full of the remains of hundreds of thousands of burned [[hazelnut]] shells. Hazelnuts have been found on other Mesolithic sites, but rarely in such quantities or concentrated in one pit. The nuts were [[radiocarbon dating|radiocarbon dated]] to 7720+/-110BP, which calibrates to circa 7000 BC. Similar sites in Britain are known only at [[Farnham]] in [[Surrey]] and [[Cass ny Hawin]] on the [[Isle of Man]].<ref name="Nuts1">[http://www.britarch.ac.uk/BA/ba5/ba5news.html "Mesolithic food industry on Colonsay"] (June 1995) ''British Archaeology''. No. 5. Retrieved [[25 May]] [[2008]]. </ref><ref name=Moff>Moffat, Alistair (2005) ''Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History''. London. Thames & Hudson. p. 91–2.</ref>
This discovery gives an insight into communal activity and forward planning in the period. The nuts were harvested in a single year and [[pollen analysis]] suggests that the [[hazel]] trees were all cut down at the same time.<ref name=Moff/> The scale of the activity, unparalleled elsewhere in Scotland, and the lack of large game on the island, suggests the possibility that Colonsay contained a community with a largely vegetarian diet for the time they spent on the island. The pit was originally on a beach close to the shore, and was associated with two smaller stone-lined pits, whose function remains obscure, a hearth, and a second cluster of pits.<ref name="Nuts1"/>
== Hazelnut and cancer medication==
Recently a group of Italian researchers in the Department of Translational Oncology, National Institute for Cancer Research, IST, Genova with the collaboration of the [[University of Genova]], Italy, has confirmed the presence of taxanes in the shells and leaves of hazel plants Among these, [[paclitaxel]], 10-deacetylbaccatin III, baccatin III, paclitaxel C, and 7-epipaclitaxel. the finding of these compounds in shells, which are considered discarded material and are mass produced by many food industries, is of interest for the future availability of paclitaxel "[[Taxol]]".<ref>ILaura Ottaggio, Federica Bestoso,Andrea Armirotti, Alessandro Balbi, Gianluca Damonte, Mauro Mazzei,Monica Sancandi, and Mariangela Miele, Taxanes from Shells and Leaves of Corylus avellana,J. Nat. Prod. 2008, 71, 58–60 insert footnote text here</ref>
==References==
{{Commons|Corylus avellana}}
{{Wiktionary|hazelnut}}
{{reflist}}
{{fatsandoils}}
[[Category:Corylus|avellana]]
[[Category:Flora of Asia]]
[[Category:Flora of Europe]]
[[Category:Edible nuts and seeds]]
[[Category:Symbols of Oregon]]
[[Category:Trees of mild maritime climate]]
[[ar:بندق]]
[[an:Abellanera]]
[[bg:Обикновена леска]]
[[bs:Lijeska]]
[[ca:Avellaner]]
[[cy:Collen (coeden)]]
[[da:Almindelig Hassel]]
[[de:Gemeine Hasel]]
[[es:Corylus avellana]]
[[fa:فندق]]
[[fr:Noisetier commun]]
[[fur:Noglâr]]
[[gl:Abeleira]]
[[hr:Obična lijeska]]
[[id:Corylus avellana]]
[[it:Corylus avellana]]
[[he:אגוז לוז]]
[[lb:Hieselter]]
[[lt:Paprastasis lazdynas]]
[[nl:Hazelaar]]
[[ja:セイヨウハシバミ]]
[[no:Hassel]]
[[nn:Hassel]]
[[oc:Avelanièr comun]]
[[pl:Leszczyna pospolita]]
[[pt:Avelã]]
[[ru:Лещина крупная]]
[[sq:Lajthia]]
[[sr:Леска]]
[[fi:Euroopanpähkinäpensas]]
[[uk:Ліщина звичайна]]
[[wa:Côrî]]