Vernicia montana

Vernicia montana, the mu oil tree,[1] or chine wood oil tree,[2] is a species of Vernicia in the spurge family, native to Southeast Asia (including Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam) and southern China. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching a height 20 metres (66 ft).[3] The Latin specific epithet montana refers to mountains or coming from mountains.[4] The leaves are large with three lobes. The monoecious white-petaled flowers emerged as inflorescences, containing both male and female flowers. The 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) fruit is a globular drupe with wrinkled skin that turns from green to yellow upon ripening. Each fruit contains 3 seeds, rich in oil.

Vernicia montana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Vernicia
Species:
V. montana
Binomial name
Vernicia montana
Synonyms

Aleurites montana
Aleurites vernicia
Aleurites cordata

Cultivation and uses

Vernicia montana is grown mostly for the seeds from which a varnish is made similar to the tung tree. The oil is prized as a wood finish.[2] As the tree prefers well drained, sandy soils, the trees are grown on hillside plantations in northern Vietnam. In nature, V montana can be found at the margins of primary forests.

The wood is also harvested.

  • Glands and veins
    Glands and veins
  • Female flower
    Female flower
  • Male flower
    Male flower
  • In full bloom
    In full bloom
  • Inflorescence
    Inflorescence

References
  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Vernicia montana". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  2. Thomas McKeon, Douglas Hayes, David Hildebrand, Randall Weselake (Editors) Industrial Oil Crops, p. 243, at Google Books
  3. Bingtao Li & Michael G. Gilbert. "Vernicia montana". Flora of China. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  4. Archibald William Smith A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins, p. 239, at Google Books
  • Nguyen, Duong Van. Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Santa Monica, CA: Mekong, 1993.

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