Juglans australis
Encyclopedia
Juglans australis is a species of plant
in the Juglandaceae
family. This large, fast-growing tree can grow to 20 m tall at altitudes of 0.5—1.5 km in the "Yungas
" or Montane Cloud Forest
of Argentina
(including the provences of Tucumán
, Salta
and Jujuy) and in Bolivia
. It is more frost resistant than the Persian Walnut (J. regia). It is threatened by habitat loss.
J. australis is a spreading deciduous tree, up to 25 m. wide which produces first quality lumber, with a straight trunk up to 6 m. tall and up to 5 dm. in diameter. The wood is dense (640 kg/m3), hard, and strong. Upon drying, the radial shrinkage is 2.2%, the tangential 4.7%. The pinnately compound leaves are borne alternately, and bear up to fifteen oval-lanceolate finely serrate leaflets.
The immature fruits are pickled whole for human consumption. The mature nuts are also eaten.
Like most walnuts, J. australis produces juglone
, an allelopathic substance which decreases competition from other plants growing nearby. The concentrated extract of the husk is also used as a vermifuge.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
in the Juglandaceae
Juglandaceae
The Juglandaceae, also known as the Walnut Family, is a family of trees, or sometimes shrubs, in the order Fagales. Various members of this family are native to the Americas, Eurasia, and Southeast Asia....
family. This large, fast-growing tree can grow to 20 m tall at altitudes of 0.5—1.5 km in the "Yungas
Yungas
The Yungas is a stretch of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains from southeastern Peru through central Bolivia. It is a transitional zone between the Andean highlands and the eastern forests. Like the surrounding areas, it has characteristics of the Neotropic ecozone...
" or Montane Cloud Forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
(including the provences of Tucumán
Tucumán Province
Tucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta, Santiago del Estero and...
, Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
and Jujuy) and in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. It is more frost resistant than the Persian Walnut (J. regia). It is threatened by habitat loss.
J. australis is a spreading deciduous tree, up to 25 m. wide which produces first quality lumber, with a straight trunk up to 6 m. tall and up to 5 dm. in diameter. The wood is dense (640 kg/m3), hard, and strong. Upon drying, the radial shrinkage is 2.2%, the tangential 4.7%. The pinnately compound leaves are borne alternately, and bear up to fifteen oval-lanceolate finely serrate leaflets.
The immature fruits are pickled whole for human consumption. The mature nuts are also eaten.
Like most walnuts, J. australis produces juglone
Juglone
Juglone, also called 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthalenedione or 5-hydroxynaphthoquinone, is an organic compound with the molecular formula C10H6O3. In the food industry, juglone is also known as C.I. Natural Brown 7 and C.I. 75500...
, an allelopathic substance which decreases competition from other plants growing nearby. The concentrated extract of the husk is also used as a vermifuge.