Vernicia montana is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is sometimes referred to by the common name mu oil tree, or chine wood oil tree.
Description It is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching a height . The Latin specific epithet montana refers to mountains or coming from mountains.Archibald William Smith The leaves are large with three lobes. The monoecious white-petaled flowers emerged as inflorescences, containing both male and female flowers. The fruit is a globular drupe with wrinkled skin that turns from green to yellow upon ripening. Each fruit contains 3 seeds, rich in oil.
Distribution It is native to Cambodia, South-Central and Southern China, Hainan, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
Cultivation and uses Vernicia montana is grown mostly for the seeds from which a varnish is made similar to the tung tree. The oil is prized as a wood finish.Thomas McKeon, Douglas Hayes, David Hildebrand, Randall Weselake (Editors) As the tree prefers well drained, sandy soils, the trees are grown on hillside plantations in northern Vietnam. In nature, V montana can be found at the margins of primary forests.
The wood is also harvested.
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References
Nguyen, Duong Van. Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Santa Monica, CA: Mekong, 1993.
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