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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Genus: Juglans (walnuts)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Rosids > Eurosid I > Order: Fagales > Family: Juglandaceae

Twenty-one species (Northern Hemisphere and South America), of which six are cultivated in southern Africa, including the Walnut Juglans regia.

Species cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002).

Juglans ailantifolia (Japanese walnut)

Native to Japan.

 

Juglans hindsii

Native to California.

 

Juglans mandschurica (Manchurian walnut)

Native to northeastern China and Korea.

 

Juglans microcarpa (Small-fruited walnut)

Native to western USA and Mexico.

 

Juglans nigra (Black walnut)

Native to eastern USA.

 

Juglans regia (Walnut, English walnut)

Juglans regia is native to the region in Eurasia extending from the Near East through to the Himalayas and on to Western China. Walnuts must have been harvested from earliest times but the earliest records of actual growing of orchards of walnut trees go back to classical Greek and Roman times. Besides the nuts, trees are also a source of high quality wood used for furniture and gunstocks. Growing of walnuts in Europe began in the 1500's. They are now grown worldwide and the largest production is from California. 

Links

Publications

  • Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.