What is the scienticfic name of Walnut?
A walnut is the nut of any tree of the genus Juglans (Family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, Juglans regia. A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe, and thus not a true botanical nut. It is commonly consumed as a nut. After full ripening for its edible seed when the shell has been discarded, it is used as a garnish or ...
What does the name Walnut mean?
noun Wal"nut. The fruit or nut of any tree of the genus Juglans; also, the tree, and its timber. The seven or eight known species are all natives of the north temperate zone. Note: ☞ In some parts of America, especially in New England, the name walnut is given to several species of hickory ( Carya ), and their fruit.
Is walnut the same as black walnut?
The difference between walnut and black walnut is that English walnut gives a smoother and more refined wood, whereas black walnut can be used to make durable wood and can be used to make products that can withstand a wide range of applications such as furniture, musical instruments, and cabinetry.
What is is the name the nut that looks like a walnut?
The butternut, also known as a white walnut for its pale color and walnut-like taste (without the bitter finish), is prized for its flavor. Foragers search for ripening butternuts still on the tree in late summer. Unlike their black walnut cousins, which are round, butternuts are elongated and look more like pears covered in a green, fuzzy husk.
What is the botanical name for walnuts?
Juglans regiaBotanical Description Walnuts belong to the genus Juglans, of which the most commonly grown species is the English or Persian walnut (Juglans regia).
What is the genus and species of walnut?
Walnut TreeEnglish walnut / GenusWalnut trees are any species of tree in the plant genus Juglans, the type genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are referred to as walnuts. Wikipedia
What is another name for walnut?
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus Juglans (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, Juglans regia.
What classification is a walnut?
DicotyledonsWalnut Tree / ClassMagnoliopsida is a valid botanical name for a class of flowering plants. By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its circumscription can otherwise vary, being more inclusive or less inclusive depending upon the classification system being discussed. Wikipedia
Are pecans and walnuts the same?
Pecans are smaller, sweeter, and cheaper than walnuts, with a higher degree of fiber, monounsaturated fat, and vitamin E. Walnuts are larger, more textured, and more expensive than pecans. They reign supreme in protein content, most micronutrients, and polyunsaturated content.
Is black walnut toxic?
Black walnut trees produce a toxic chemical called juglone, a chemical so strong it can damage and even kill off vegetative growth around these trees and is blamed for issues in horses who are exposed to black walnut shavings.
Are walnuts a fruit?
Nuts are actually fruits. They are defined as dry, single-seeded fruits that have high oil content. They are usually enclosed in a leathery or solid outer layer. In botany terms, nuts are strictly a particular kind of dry fruit that has a single seed, a hard shell, and a protective husk.
Which country walnut is best?
Nutsville Walnuts are directly imported from Chile which is third largest walnut exporting country in the world. Chilean walnut is the best quality walnut in the world.
Where do most walnuts come from?
More than 99% of the walnuts grown in the United States come from California's Central Valley. More than 99% of the walnuts grown in the United States come from California's Central Valley.
What is the scientific name for hazelnut?
CorylusHazel / Scientific name
Is walnut good for brain?
Substantial evidence from animal and human studies suggests that dietary consumption of walnuts (1–2 oz per day) can improve cognitive function and also reduce the risk of other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes, which are risk factors for the development of dementia.
Why are English walnuts called?
The tree originated in the Middle East and the nuts are called English walnuts because historically the English merchant marines would trade them around the world; the nuts became commonly known as English walnuts. The English walnut and the Persian walnut are the same walnut.
What is the largest leaflet of walnut?
The round-tipped leaflets have smooth margins, and the terminal leaflet is the largest. The leaflets of native North American walnuts are largest toward the centre of the leaf and have toothed margins. A cracked walnut, showing the shell and the seed inside.
Where are black walnuts grown?
The butternut ( J. cinerea) of eastern North America also produces an edible nutlike seed. The English walnut is grown in parts of North and South America for commercial nut ...
What is black walnut used for?
The dark fine-grained wood of English and black walnuts is used for furniture, paneling, and gunstocks. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello, Assistant Editor.
How many stalked leaves does a walnut tree have?
Walnut trees have long compound leaves with 5 to 23 short-stalked leaflets. The male and female reproductive organs are borne in different petal-less flower clusters, known as catkins, on the same tree. The twigs characteristically contain a many-chambered pith.
What is a nut based on?
The botanical definition of a nut, based on features of form…. fruit farming: Waste materials, other uses. …the same uses as black walnut shells. Some nutshells are made into beads, marbles, buttons, carving tools, ink, and ornament.
What wood was used in the 17th century?
Learn More in these related Britannica articles: furniture: France and England: 17th and 18th centuries. …most commonly used wood was walnut; thereafter, and for the rest of the century, it was mahogany. Walnut, though beautiful in hue, was soft and therefore less suited to wood carving than to rounded, curving forms.
Is almond a dessert nut?
During the…. , almond, walnut, cashew, pecan, pistachio, etc.—are well known as dessert nuts. Not all nuts are edible. Some, used as sources of oil or fat, may be regarded as oil seeds; others are used for ornament. The botanical definition of a nut, based on features of form…. …the same uses as black walnut shells.
Where are walnuts found?
Walnuts have been found in prehistoric deposits in Europe dating from the Iron Age and are mentioned in Old Testament references to King Solomon's nut garden. Many legends have been associated with the walnut; the ancient Greeks and Romans regarded them as symbols of fertility. In the Middle Ages, walnuts were thought to ward off witchcraft, the evil eye, and epileptic fits because of the belief that evil spirits lurked in the walnut branches.
Is walnut good for you?
The inclusion of walnuts in the diet is recommended as a dietary source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, and to improve the lipid profile in hyperlipidemic individuals. Cardiac benefits of walnut consumption are described. Walnuts have also been studied in metabolic syndrome with limited benefit demonstrated. The effect of walnut extract in Alzheimer disease is being investigated.
Where do walnuts come from?
This tree is an Old World walnut tree that is called the English walnut, but it actually comes from China . This tree's history reaches back to stories involving Alexander the Great when he first introduced this tree as Persian in origin. This is the walnut that provides more of the edible walnuts sold in stores. Smooth olive-brown bark on young trees gradually turns silvery gray and rough as the tree ages. The compound leaves are 10 to 16 inches long, clustered in 5 to 9 lance-shaped leaflets. The fruits fall in autumn, and the nuts are relatively thin-shelled with richly flavorful seeds inside. This tree is also known as the common walnut or Persian walnut. Many named cultivars are available.
How long are walnut leaves?
Smooth olive-brown bark on young trees gradually turns silvery gray and rough as the tree ages. The compound leaves are 10 to 16 inches long, clustered in 5 to 9 lance-shaped leaflets.
How tall is a butternut tree?
The butternut is a deciduous tree growing up to 60 feet tall. It is a slow-growing species that rarely lives longer than 75 years. It is similar in appearance to the black walnut, but it is a smaller tree with less fissured bark, fewer leaflets per leaf, and smaller nuts that are more oval-shaped than round. Once a very common North American specimen, the butternut has become increasingly rare due to a spreading canker disease. In different regions, it may be known as oilnut, white walnut, or long walnut.
What is a Brazilian walnut tree?
J. australis is a spreading deciduous tree, up to 80 feet wide, which produces first quality lumber, with its trunk straight up. The immature and mature fruits of this tree are also consumed. The Brazilian walnut (also known as the nogal criolla, or tropical walnut) is a tropical tree that is rarely grown in North America, but is sometimes planted as an ornamental shade tree in tropical zones.
What is a yellow-green tree?
This is a deciduous tree with light grey bark. The male flowers are yellow-green catkins produced in spring when new foliage appears. The female flowers have attractive pink or reddish pistils. The large leaves (up to 24 inches) are pinnately compound, with 11 to 17 leaflets that are a lighter green in color than most trees. Other common names for this tree include heartnut and siebold walnut.
Where do little walnuts grow?
The little walnut is a large shrub or small tree that grows wild along streams and ravines. Its name derives from nuts that are only about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide, but because it commonly grows around stream beds and ravines in Southwestern regions, you may also hear it called Texas walnut, Texas black walnut, or Mexican walnut. This plant usually branches out near the ground and has a broad rounded crown. The bark is gray to dark brown and develops deep fissures over time. The pinnately compound leaves have narrow leaflets 2 to 2 1/2 inches long, with finely serrated edges.
How many stems does a California Black Walnut have?
The California black walnut can be either a large shrub with one to five main stems, or a small, single-trunked tree. The main trunk often forks close to the ground, making it appear that two trees have grown together. The California black walnut has deeply channeled thick bark that furrows with maturity.
What is a tree nut?
In common use, a "tree nut" is, as the name implies, any nut coming from a tree. This most often comes up regarding food allergies; a person may be allergic specifically to peanuts (which are not tree nuts but legumes ), whereas others may be allergic to the wider range of nuts that grow on trees.
Where do nuts come from?
The involucre may be scaly, spiny, leafy or tubular, depending on the species of nut. Most nuts come from the pistils with inferior ovaries (see flower) and all are indehiscent (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plant families of the order Fagales.
What is the difference between a seed and a nut?
A seed is the mature fertilised ovule of a plant; it consists of three parts, the embryo which will develop into a new plant, the endosperm which contains nutrients, and a protective seed coat. Botanically, a nut is a seed which has a large proportion of endosperm and a tough seed coat which becomes increasingly hard as the nut matures. One or a few nuts may be contained in an involucre, a cup-shaped structure formed from the flower bracts. The involucre may be scaly, spiny, leafy or tubular, depending on the species of nut. Most nuts come from the pistils with inferior ovaries (see flower) and all are indehiscent (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plant families of the order Fagales. These include beech ( Fagus ), chestnut ( Castanea ), oak ( Quercus ), Stone-oak , ( Lithocarpus) and tanoak ( Notholithocarpus) in the family Fagaceae, as well as hazel, filbert ( Corylus) and hornbeam ( Carpinus) in the family Betulaceae .
Why are nuts important to humans?
Nuts supply nutrients for humans and wildlife. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a significant energy source . Many seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a snack food, ground to make nut butters, or pressed for oil that is used in cooking and cosmetics.
Why do nuts cause reactions?
The reaction is due to the release of histamine by the body in response to an allergen in the nuts , causing skin and other possible reactions.
What is a dry seed called?
In general usage and in a culinary sense, a wide variety of dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context "nut" implies that the shell does not open to release the seed ( indehiscent ). Most seeds come from fruits that naturally free themselves from the shell, but this is not the case in nuts such as hazelnuts, chestnuts, and acorns, ...
What are some examples of culinary nuts?
Some common "culinary nuts": hazelnuts, which are also botanical nuts; Brazil nuts, which are not botanical nuts, but rather the seeds of a capsule; and walnuts, pecans, and almonds (which are not botanical nuts, but rather the seeds of drupes) A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible.
Overview
Non-food applications
Walnuts have been listed as one of the 38 substances used to prepare Bach flower remedies, a herbal remedy promoted in folk medicine practices for its supposed effect on health. According to Cancer Research UK, "there is no scientific evidence to prove that flower remedies can control, cure or prevent any type of disease, including cancer".
Walnut husks can be used to make a durable ink for writing and drawing. It is thought to have be…
Characteristics
Walnuts are rounded, single-seeded stone fruits of the walnut tree commonly used for food after fully ripening between September and November, in which the removal of the husk at this stage reveals a browning wrinkly walnut shell, which is usually commercially found in two segments (three or four-segment shells can also form). During the ripening process, the husk will become brittle and the shell hard. At this point the walnut is extremely sharp. The shell encloses the kern…
History and cultivation
During the Byzantine era, the walnut was also known by the name "royal nut". An article on walnut tree cultivation in Spain is included in Ibn al-'Awwam's 12th-century Book on Agriculture.
Types
The two most common major species of walnuts are grown for their seeds – the Persian or English walnut and the black walnut. The English walnut (J. regia) originated in Iran (Persia), and the black walnut (J. nigra) is native to eastern North America. The black walnut is of high flavor, but due to its hard shell and poor hulling characteristics it is not commercially cultivated in orchards.
Storage
Walnuts, like other tree nuts, must be processed and stored properly. Poor storage makes walnuts susceptible to insect and fungal mold infestations; the latter produces aflatoxin – a potent carcinogen. A batch which contains mold-infested walnuts should be entirely discarded.
The ideal temperature for the extended storage of walnuts is −3 to 0 °C (27 to 32 °F) with low humidity for industrial and home storage. However, such refrigeration technologies are unavaila…
Food use
Walnut meats are available in two forms: in their shells or de-shelled. The meats may be whole, halved, or in smaller portions due to processing. All walnuts can be eaten on their own (raw, toasted or pickled), or as part of a mix such as muesli, or as an ingredient of a dish: e.g. walnut soup, walnut pie, walnut coffee cake, banana cake, brownie, fudge. Walnuts are often candied or pickled. Pickle…
Phytochemicals
Walnut hulls contain diverse phytochemicals, such as polyphenols that stain hands and can cause skin irritation. Seven phenolic compounds, including ferulic acid, vanillic acid, coumaric acid, syringic acid, myricetin, and juglone were identified in walnut husks. Juglone, the predominant phenolic, was found in concentrations of 2-4% fresh weight.
Walnuts also contain the ellagitannin pedunculagin. Regiolone has been isolated with juglone, bet…
What Is Walnut?
- There are about 15 species of Juglans (walnut genus); commercially, J. regia is the most important. This deciduous tree can grow to 45 m in height. J. regia is native to Asia but is cultivated now in France and other parts of Europe, North Africa, North America, and East Asia.
What Is It Used for?
- Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses
Walnuts have been found in prehistoric deposits in Europe dating from the Iron Age and are mentioned in Old Testament references to King Solomon's nut garden. Many legends have been associated with the walnut; the ancient Greeks and Romans regarded them as symbols of fertilit… - General uses
The inclusion of walnuts in the diet is recommended as a dietary source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, and to improve the lipid profile in hyperlipidemic individuals. Cardiac benefits of walnut consumption are described. Walnuts have also been studied in metabolic syn…
What Is The Recommended Dosage?
- Daily dosages used in clinical trials range from 20 to 84 g/day (1 shelled walnut is approximately 5 g).
Contraindications
- Contraindications have not been identified. Cross-hypersensitivity between tree nuts is known to exist.
Pregnancy/Lactation
- Generally recognized as safe when used as food. The possibility of in utero sensitization has been debated without conclusion.
Further Information
- Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Medical Disclaimer