Vernicia montana

Vernicia montana, commonly known as the tung oil tree, is a versatile medicinal and industrial plant native to Southeast Asia. Renowned for producing high-quality tung oil, it also holds significant ethnobotanical value. Its seeds and extracts are traditionally utilized in various folk remedies to treat skin conditions and inflammation.

  • Scientific name: Vernicia montana
  • Family: Euphorbiaceae
  • Native range: Africa

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Malpighiales and the family Euphorbiaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation is found within the genus Vernicia.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Malpighiales WCVP
Family Euphorbiaceae WCVP
Genus Vernicia WCVP

Common Names

This plant, scientifically known as Vernicia montana, is recognized by various common names depending on the region and language. In Vietnamese, it is known as Trẩu, while in Chinese, it is referred to as 木油桐 across multiple linguistic variations, including Simplified Chinese (zh-hans: 木油桐), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant: 木油桐), Cantonese/Hong Kong usage (zh-hk: 木油桐), and general Chinese (zh: 木油桐).
Language Common Name Source
vi Trẩu Wikidata
zh-hans 木油桐 Wikidata
zh-hant 木油桐 Wikidata
zh-hk 木油桐 Wikidata
zh 木油桐 Wikidata
yue 木油桐 Wikidata
zh-tw 千年桐 Wikidata
ar ورنيشة جبلية Wikidata
zh-cn 木油桐 Wikidata
arz ورنيشه جبليه Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across different continents. In the region of South Tropical Africa, it can be found growing in Angola and Mozambique. Its presence extends significantly into Asia, specifically within the various provinces of China. Within China, it is located in the South-Central and Southeast regions. Additionally, the species is known to inhabit the tropical island of Hainan.

Region Area Source
South Tropical Africa Angola WCVP
South Tropical Africa Mozambique WCVP
China China South-Central WCVP
China Hainan WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
Eastern Asia Japan WCVP
Eastern Asia Taiwan WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Assam WCVP
Indian Subcontinent East Himalaya WCVP
Indian Subcontinent India WCVP

Chemicals

Vernicia montana has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include lignans, terpenoids.

Total chemicals
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
lignans 1 ★☆☆☆☆
terpenoids 1 ★☆☆☆☆