Manchurian Walnut

Manchurian Walnut 

(Juglans manshurica), a monoecious deciduous tree of the family Juglandaceae. The trunk is up to 30 m tall, smooth, straight, with a rounded crown. The leaves, which are alternate, compound, and odd-pinnate, measure up to 1.25 m long; there are oblong-elliptic serrated leaflets. The small unisexual flowers appear when the leaves open. The staminate flowers are in long drooping catkins; the pistillate flowers are in groups of three to ten at the ends of the shoots. The fruits are drupelike and have green or brownish fleshy husks.

The Manchurian walnut grows in northern China, Korea, and the USSR (in the Primor’e and the Amur Region). It is found in mixed cedar and broad-leaved forests along river valleys and in the lower mountain zones. The fruits of the Manchurian walnut are edible but have a very thick, tough shell; they are used in the confectionery industry to obtain high-quality oil. The lumber is hard and has a beautiful texture. The narrow sapwood is light gray, and the heartwood is brown. The wood is used in the manufacture of furniture, various art objects, and high-quality plywood. The bark, leaves, and fruits contain tannins. The Manchurian walnut is used in the landscaping of many cities of Siberia and the European USSR.

REFERENCE

Usenko, N. V. Derev’ia, kustarniki i liany Dal’nego Vostoka. Khabarovsk, 1969.

V. N. GLADKOVA