Tung tree

Article By:

Strausbaugh, Perry D. Department of Botany, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Core, Earl L. Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Last reviewed:January 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.714800

The plant Aleurites fordii (alternatively Vernicia fordii), a species of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). The tung tree is native to central and western China and has been grown successfully in the southern United States. It belongs to the order Malpighiales; it was formerly assigned to the order Euphorbiales, which is now unrecognized in many classifications. The tree is the source of tung oil. The globular fruit (see illustration) has three to seven large, hard, rough-coated seeds containing the oil, which is expressed after the seeds have been roasted. Tung oil is used to produce a hard, quick-drying, superior varnish, which is less apt to crack than other kinds. The foliage, sap, fruit, and commercial tung meal contain a toxic saponin, which causes gastroenteritis in animals that eat it. See also: Drying oil; Euphorbiales; Malpighiales; Varnish

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