What Kind of Walnut Is the Wenwan Iron Walnut? Learn to Tell Qiuzi and Lantern Walnuts Apart
Iron walnut belongs to the Juglandaceae family. It is a deciduous tree, 10-20 m tall, with a lifespan that can exceed a hundred years. It is distributed in southwestern China and other places. Its fruit shell is hard and can be used to make various beautiful and durable handicrafts. So what kind of walnut is the iron walnut? And how do you tell it apart from Qiuzi and Lantern walnuts?
1. What kind of walnut is the iron walnut?
The iron walnut, also known as the Yangbi walnut, is a deciduous tree plant of the genus Juglans in the Juglandaceae family. It is distributed in southwestern China and other places. Its fruit shell is hard. At first, the iron walnut was mainly used for oil pressing and as rootstock for ordinary edible walnuts, but now many new uses have gradually been developed. It can be used to make various beautiful and durable handicrafts, and in some places large and unusually shaped iron walnuts are even selected to make fitness balls; their uneven shells can massage the acupoints of the hands and have a certain health-care effect.
The iron walnut tree is 10-20 m tall and its lifespan can exceed a hundred years. The trunk bark is grayish brown to dark brown, with vertical fissures. New branches are light green and smooth, with white lenticels. The leaves are odd-pinnate compound leaves, alternate. The female inflorescence is terminal, with small flowers clustered 2-4 together. The fruit is round, yellow-green, covered with fine hairs on the surface, and contains 1 seed inside. The outer seed coat is bony and is called the shell; its surface is pitted, and the shell varies in thickness.
The iron walnut has strong graft compatibility and strong growth vigor, but poor cold resistance. It adapts to a subtropical climate. Its production areas are mainly Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, with an extreme minimum temperature of -2°C, and it cannot overwinter in northern regions. In the Taihang Mountains area, its yield is less than that of the Qiuzi walnut; however, because of factors such as the altitude, climate and rainfall of its production area, the iron walnut of the Taihang Mountains area is clearly different from that of the south, which also causes differences between northern and southern iron walnuts in size, shape and other aspects.
Iron walnuts are mostly used by literati and refined scholars for handling and playing, and are called wenwan iron walnuts. The reason they are liked by collectors is probably their large size, unusual shapes and relatively low price. While being used as playthings, they are also carved by folk artisans into art treasures favored by collectors. The artisans carve the images and patterns of various animals and figures on the tiny walnuts, placing beautiful meanings on them and expressing people's expectations and longings for the future.
2. How do you distinguish Qiuzi, Lantern and iron walnuts?
Generally speaking, the grain of Qiuzi and Lantern walnuts is usually deeper, with large ridges, and they are relatively light in weight; iron walnuts usually have shallower grain, mostly hemp-like texture, and are relatively heavy.
Qiu (Qiu)zi: that is, the northeastern walnut. Generally the whole nut appears long and pointed, mostly clearly spindle-shaped, with light-colored skin, deep grain and many ridges, usually about eight ridges, while nine ridges are extremely rare, and it feels relatively light; one of the more famous Qiuzi - Zao Hu: Zao Hu is a type of Qiuzi and has obvious Qiuzi characteristics. Its main feature is that the walnut is slender and pointed at both ends.
Lantern (referring to those produced in the northwestern region): that is, the northwestern walnut. Generally the whole nut is round and dark in color. Its obvious features are many deep spines, like a mountain of knives, standing in clumps, and it is very prickly to play with. It also feels relatively light.
Iron walnut: that is, the southern walnut. It has many types and shapes. Its features are very shallow and uneven grain, narrow edges and rough texture. When two walnuts are tapped lightly against each other, they make a “PU PU” sound, relatively dull, and they are substantial and heavy in the hand.
In addition, the type of walnut can be distinguished mainly by the “base” and the “navel” - the place where the bottom of the walnut connects to the tree. The feature is to look at the connection between the bottom edge and the navel (best not called the "X eye"): if the edge sinks into the walnut and then connects with the navel, it is most likely a southern walnut.