ISHS Acta Horticulturae 284: I International Symposium on Walnut Production
DISCUSSION ON THE ORIGIN OF WALNUT IN CHINA |
| Author: | X. Rong-Ting |
| Abstract:
Walnut (Juglans regia L.) has a long history of cultivation in China. The great varieties and types, wide-distribution and rich cultivation experience are well known to the world. However, there is a fundamental problem, and that is, the origin of walnut in China. At the present time, there has been an unsettled problem in scientific research and teaching for a long time. Among all of these theories, it is the most popular one that Zhang Qian introduced walnut into China from the western Area (about 2100 years ago). China has immense land, plenty of resources and it is extremely rich in fruit. Many classical works on the origin of crops in the world have studied the fruits originated in China. For example, N. I. Vavilov, a Russian, proposed that China was one of the largest original centers of agriculture and the cultivated plants; which had a great many of species and there were about 52 species of fruits natively originated. It is recorded that in the walnut genus(Juglans) 3 species were originated in China (Juglans mandshurica Max, Juglans Hopeiensis Hu, and Juglans catayensis Dode), ònly walnut (Juglans regia L.) was originated abroad. This theory was not accepted long ago, however, in recent years, by looking up the historical relics and studying the ancient biological fossils and the reports on excavated cultural relics, we have more doubt about the theory. In order to clarify the central problem of the origin of walnut in China, the following views are given for discussion. | |
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