Vernicia
Appearance
Vernicia | |
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Vernicia fordii | |
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Genus: | Vernicia |
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The genus Vernicia, commonly referred to as tung or tung-oil tree, is a genus in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae, first described as a genus in 1790.[2][3] It is native to China, Japan, India, and Indochina.[1][4][5] The species have often been included within the related genus Aleurites.[6][7]
They are shrubs or trees growing to 20 m tall. The leaves are alternate, broad, entire to palmately lobed; they may be either deciduous or evergreen. The flowers may be either monoecious or dioecious.[5]
- Species[1]
- Vernicia cordata (Thunb.) Airy Shaw. - S Japan; naturalized in Angola + Nepal
- Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw. - S China, Myanmar, Vietnam; naturalized in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Taiwan, E Himalayas, New South Wales, California, Lesser Antilles, Paraguay, Argentina
- Vernicia montana Lour. - S China, Indochina; naturalized in Angola, Japan, Java, E Himalayas
Cultivation and uses
All three species are cultivated for the oil in their nuts, used in the manufacture of linoleum, paint, varnish, etc.[5]
References
- ^ a b c Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ Loureiro, João de. 1790. Flora Cochinchinensis 2: 541, 586–587 in Latin, highly abbreviated
- ^ Tropicos Vernicia Lour.
- ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Vernicia
- ^ a b c Flora of Thailand: Vernicia
- ^ Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 266 油桐属 you tong shu Vernicia Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 2: 586. 1790.