Common name: Tung Oil Tree
Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw APNI* Synonyms: Aleurites fordii Hemsl. APNI*
Description: Tree to 10 m high, new growth and leaves finely hairy, hairs simple, sometimes golden-coloured, ± glabrescent with age.
Leaves with lamina broad-ovate to ovate, mostly 10–20 cm long, 7–15 cm wide, sometimes 3-lobed, margins shallowly toothed, base ± cordate, 5-veined from base; petiole mostly c. as long as lamina.
Petals usually white with reddish markings, turning pink with age, c. 2 cm long.
Fruit 5–7 cm diam.; 3–7-seeded; seeds produce oil that is used in the paint industry.
Distribution and occurrence: Naturalized, found in the Sydney area in the Hawkesbury and Colo Valley. Native of Asia.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC
Other Australian states: *Qld
Text by T. A. James & G. J. Harden Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 (1990)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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