Ostrya carpinifolia

It can be found in various areas around Mt. Paggaio, in scattered individuals or in small groups of individuals. It is usually mixed with other broadleaved species, mainly oaks, and occurs at altitudes between 600 and 1,600 m asl.

Deciduous tree up to 20 m tall, which due to human influences (e.g., logging) can often appear as a shrub. Leaves ovate to oblong-ovate, 4-9 cm long, with strongly serrated edges. Leaves shiny dark green on the upper side, light green on the lower side. Female and male flowers form separate groups (catkins), which appear during spring (April-May). The fruit is oval in shape, enclosed inside a bladder-like involucre, which looks like a whitish sack. The fruits ripen in summer (July). It often occurs in groups on stony slopes, usually on limestone and in stabilized sediment formations (stones, small rocks) that have been moved by gravity. Its wood is very heavy and hard, making it difficult to process, while it is excellent fuel. In the past, it was widely used in the industry due to its high mechanical strength, while in recent times it is common in arboriculture and parks. Its ability to inhabit dry and relatively barren areas has made it an ideal species for the restoration of stony and disturbed areas.

It is not threatened by human or other kind of factors.

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Ostrya carpinifolia is not subjected to any national or international conservation status. However, its scrubs which it forms with Carpinus orientalis are typical species of the 925A habitat type: “Forests of Ostrya carpinifolia, Carpinus betulus and mixed thermophilous forests”. Its main threats are related to intense logging, the effects of intense grazing and to a lesser extent to wild fires.