Juglans olanchana

Juglans olanchana

Juglans olanchana is an American species of the genus walnuts ( Juglans ).

Features

Juglans olanchana is a medium to large semi-evergreen tree (up to 40 m) with a dark and deeply furrowed bark. The diameter can reach 150 cm, the stem is usually free of branches up to 5 m, in rare cases, 10 to 15 m. The branches are dark brown and appear bald, but are covered with small glandular hairs. The lenticels are conspicuous.

The leaves are large, usually 45 to 65 cm long and 30-35 cm wide. Most available in a terminal leaflets, so that the leaves are pinnate. The leaves are large, usually 17 to 21, each 14 to 17 cm long and 5-6 cm wide. They are clearly stalked 2-4 mm long. The leaves are finely to strongly serrate, oblong- elliptic to ovate of leaf shape, with asymmetrically truncated or rounded leaf base and with long sharpened blade end. The lower leaves are often significantly smaller than the other. The underside of the leaves is bald and wears only a few stalked glands, some small tufts of hairs on the midrib and major lateral veins. The top is also bald. The rachis is glabrous or glabrous, but has a very small, tight -fitting stalked glands.

The male catkins are 22 to 30 cm long, the bracts are small with 1 mm. The flower stalk is 4-5 mm long. The ring of Brakteolen and sepals usually consists of eight organs. There are 61-102 stamens.

The fruits are at 8 cm long stalks. The ripe fruit is large, globose to pyriform, 4.3 to 4.5 cm wide and 4.7 to 4.8 cm long. She's bald, shiny greenish brown with distinctive white warts. The shell is thick. The nut contained in it is reddish brown, nearly spherical, slightly flattened, 3.4 to 4.5 cm thick and 3.2 to 4.2 cm long. It is heavily ribbed, with broad, flat-topped ridges. The furrows are relatively shallow. Only at the base of the nut, the deep furrows and the fins are sharp.

Dissemination

The way was long known only from Central America, especially Guatemala and Honduras. However, their range extends from southern Mexico to the mountainous regions of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina.

In Central America the species grows in wet and very wet forests, usually on muddy, sandy or rocky soils, often along river banks from sea level to 700 meters above sea level. In the more southern areas it grows more in the mountain regions.

Use

The wood is diverse uses: for example, for furniture, light timber, interior paneling, turnery, musical instruments, parquet floors. The nuts are edible. The sheaths may be used for dyeing leather.

Documents

• Wayne E. Manning: The genus Juglans in Mexico and Central America. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, Volume 38, 1957, pp. 121-150.
• CR Alvarado, CA Alvarado, OO Mendozo: Juglans olanchana Standlschmaus. & L.O. Williams. In: Tropical Tree Seed Manual. Part II - Species Descriptions. USDA Forest Service, 2003, pp. 287-288.