Tung Tree (Noun)
Meaning
Chinese tree bearing seeds that yield tung oil.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The tung tree, also known as Aleurites fordii, is native to southern China and bears seeds rich in tung oil, used as a drying agent in paint.
- Aleurites cordata is commonly known as the Japanese tung tree but has lower yields of tung oil than its Chinese counterpart.
- Traditional Chinese farmers harvested tung tree seeds, pressed the seeds to release tung oil for medicinal, cosmetic, and manufacturing applications.
- Industrial farming shifted from collecting seeds in forests to large-scale plantation-grown tung trees that now account for most Chinese production.
- Other nations have considered cultivating the tung tree for its value in manufacturing heavy-duty coatings due to the properties of the tung oil within.