Carpinus shensiensis

Chinese hornbeam is a member of the birch or Betulaceae family and is native to the Chinese provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi. It is a small tree growing in the temperate zone at an altitude range of in 800–1000 meters and reaching up to 15 m tall.

• Branchlets are purplish brown, pubescent when young.
• Leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate, 6–9 cm long and up to 4.5 cm across, oblong to obovate, upper surface glabrous, lower surface sparsely pubescent along veins and with tufts of hair in axils of veins. There are 14–16 secondary veins on each side of the mid-vein; margins are double-serrate, teeth minute and irregular, point is acute or acuminate; petiole is densely pubescent, 0.7–1.7 cm long.
• Species is monoecious, with catkin-like staminate (male) flowers and pistillate (female) flowers, pedunculate, 7–9 cm long and 4–4.5 cm across, densely pubescent, with a few long hairs. Flowers are inconspicuous, with overlapping bracts, ovate, 2.5–3.0 cm long and 1.0–1.2 cm across, with 4–5 reticulate veins, margins irregularly serrated.
• Fruit is a nutlet with prominent, longitudinal ribs. Flowering is in May to June and fruiting July to August (China).
• Buds are reddish brown, distinct bud scales, slightly pointed. Bark is dark grey.