Synonyms: Tonda Gentile Romana, Tonda Gentile di Viterbo.
Tonda Romana is an Italian variety of very ancient origin that constitutes the principal variety in the hazelnut orchards of Viterbo region north of Rome (Bergoughoux et. al., 1978).
The tree is of moderate to low vigour, semi-erect in form, and has many suckers.
The husk is slightly longer than the nut; most nuts fall free of the husk.
Pollen shed and flowering are mid-season.
Tonda Romana is resistant to big bud mites but is rather susceptible to bacterial blight.
Tonda Romana has moderate to high yields.
The nut is medium to small in size, round, with a dull light brown shell.
Kernels are round, usually free of fibre and do not blanch.
Percent kernel 44 – 48% (Bergoughoux et. al, 1978).
There are many selections of hazel with very similar nut characteristics named “Tonda Romana” (pers.comm S. Mehlenbacher, 2008).
Nuts from the New Zealand trees seem to be identical to those viewed in Prof. Mehlenbacher’s collection and to one of the accessions in the USDA NCGR Corylus collection at Corvallis.
Nuts can look similar to smaller Nocchione and Tonda di Giffoni nuts but Tonda Romana is distinguished from these varieties by its poor blanching ability.
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