Walnut

From Wikinfo

(This article is about the walnut tree. For other uses see Walnut (disambiguation).)

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Walnut
Walnut Nuts of Persian Walnut
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Juglandales Family: Juglandaceae Genus: Juglans
Species
Juglans ailantifolia Carr. - Japanese walnut Juglans boliviana Dode - Bolivian walnut Juglans californica S. Wats. - California walnut Juglans cathayensis Dode - Chinese walnut Juglans cinerea L. - Butternut Juglans hindsii Jepson - Hinds' walnut Juglans jamaicensis C. DC. - West Indian walnut Juglans major Heller - Arizona black walnut Juglans mandschurica Maxim. - Manchurian walnut Juglans microcarpa Berl. - Texan walnut, Little walnut Juglans neotropica Diels - Andean walnut Juglans nigra L. - Black walnut Juglans regia L. - Persian walnut, Common walnut Juglans stenocarpa Maxim. - Stone-nut walnut Hybrids Juglans x bixbyi Rehd. - 1 x 5 Juglans x intermedia Carr. - 12 x 13 Juglans x notha Rehd. - 1 x 13 Juglans x quadrangulata (Carr.) Rehd. - 5 x 13 Reference: [1] as of 2003-03-13, with amendments

The Walnut is any tree of the genus Juglans which belong to the walnut family, or Juglandaceae. They are deciduous trees, 10-40m tall, with pinnate leaves 20-90cm long, with 5-25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts (Pterocarya) but not the hickories (Carya) in the same family.

The best-known member of the genus is the Persian walnut or Common walnut Juglans regia, native from the Balkans in southeast Europe, southwest & central Asia to the Himalaya and southwest China. This is the species which is widely cultivated for its delicious nuts. The Latin name Juglans derives from Jovis Glans, "Jupiter's nuts", the nut fit for a God; throughout recorded history the walnut has widely been regarded as the best nut of any. The Persian Walnut is often but incorrectly known as "English walnut" in the United States (the species is not native to England).

The Black walnut Juglans nigra is a common species in its native eastern North America, and is also widely cultivated elsewhere. The nuts are edible, but have a smaller kernel and an extremely tough shell, and they are not specifically grown for nut production. Both this and Persian walnut are important for their attractive timber.

The nuts of all the species named above, as well as other species, are edible, but the walnuts commonly available in stores are the Persian walnut, the only species which has a large nut and thin shell. A horticultural variety selected for thin nut shells and hardiness in temperate zones is sometimes known as the Carpathian walnut. The nuts are rich in oil, and are widely eaten both fresh and in cookery. They need to be kept dry and refrigerated to store well; in warm conditions they become rancid in a few weeks, particularly after shelling. Walnut hulls are used as a dye source, yielding a rich yellow-brown color.

[[da:Valn�d (Juglans regia)]]

References

• Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Walnut" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut, used under the GNU Free Documentation License