Juglandaceae

Juglandaceae
Juglans regia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fagales Family: Juglandaceae A. Richard ex Kunth
Genera
Alfaroa Carya (hickory and pecan) Cyclocarya (wheel wingnut) Engelhardia (cheo) Juglans (walnut) Oreomunnia Platycarya Pterocarya (wingnut)

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.

Nut of Juglans regia

Members of the walnut family have large aromatic leaves, that are usually alternate, but opposite in Alfaroa, Oreomunnia. The leaves are pinnately compound, or ternate, and usually 20-100 cm long.

The trees are wind-pollinated, the flowers usually arranged in catkins, and the fruit is a true botanical nut.

Foliage and seed catkin of Platycarya strobilacea

There are eight genera in the family, including the commercially important nut-producing trees walnut (Juglans), pecan (Carya illinoinensis), and hickory (Carya). The Persian walnut, Juglans regia, is one of the major nut crops of the world. Walnut and hickory are also valuable timber trees.

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