| Vernicia | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Vernicia fordii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Crotonoideae |
| Tribe: | Aleuritideae |
| Subtribe: | Aleuritinae |
| Genus: | Vernicia Lour. |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Vernicia 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, and entire to palmately lobed; they may be either deciduous or evergreen. The flowers may be either monoecious or dioecious. [5]
| Image | Fruit | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vernicia cordata (Thunb.) Airy Shaw. | southern Japan, naturalized in Angola and Nepal | ||
| | | Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw. | southern China, Myanmar, Vietnam, naturalized in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Taiwan, eastern Himalayas, New South Wales, California, Lesser Antilles, Paraguay, Argentina (tung oil tree) |
| | | Vernicia montana Lour. | southern China, Indochina; naturalized in Angola, Japan, Java, eastern Himalayas (mu oil tree) |