Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree ( Vernicia fordii ). Tung oil hardens upon exposure to air (through polymerization ), and the resulting coating is transparent and has a deep, almost wet look.
Are tung trees native to China?
Tung tree ( Vernicia fordii ), a woody oil plant native to China, is widely distributed in the subtropical area. Tung trees have been planted for tung oil production or ornamental purposes for more than 1000 years in China .
Does tung tree produce eleostearic acid?
Tung tree ( Vernicia fordii) is an economically important woody oil plant that produces tung oil rich in eleostearic acid. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-scale genome sequence of tung tree.
Where did Tung oil come from?
The tung oil tree originates in southern China and was cultivated there for tung oil, but the date of cultivation remains unknown. The earliest references for Chinese use of tung oil are in the writings of Confucius (551 – 479 BCE) around 500 to 479 BC.