Pterocarya, often called wingnuts in English, are trees in the walnut family Juglandaceae. They are native to Asia. The botanic name is from Ancient Greek Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: πτερον (pteron) "wing" + Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: κάρυον (karyon) "nut".
Pterocarya are deciduous trees, 10–40 m tall, with pinnate leaves 20–45 cm long, with 11–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the walnuts (Juglans) but not the hickories (Carya) in the same family.
The flowers are organized in male and female catkins in the same tree. Therefore the species is monoecius. The seed catkins when mature (about six months after pollination) are pendulous, 15–45 cm long, with 20–80 seeds strung along them.
The seeds are a small nut 5–10 mm across, with two wings, one each side. In some of the species, the wings are short (5–10 mm) and broad (5–10 mm), in others longer (10–25 mm) and narrower (2–5 mm).
There are six species.
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pterocarya fraxinifolia | Caucasian wingnut | Caucasus and Elburz mountains in southwest Asia. | |
| Pterocarya hupehensis | Hubei wingnut | Central China. | |
| Pterocarya macroptera | Large-winged wingnut | West and southwest China. | |
| Pterocarya rhoifolia | Japanese wingnut | Japan, eastern China (Shandong). | |
| Pterocarya stenoptera | Chinese wingnut | China, widespread. | |
| Pterocarya tonkinensis | Tonkin wingnut | Southernmost China (Yunnan), Indo-China. | |
Wingnuts are very attractive, large and fast-growing trees, occasionally planted in parks and large gardens. The most common in general cultivation outside Asia is P. fraxinifolia, but the most attractive is probably P. rhoifolia. The hybrid P. × rehderiana, a cross between P. fraxinifolia and P. stenoptera, is even faster-growing and has occasionally been planted for timber production. The wood is of good quality, similar to walnut, though not quite so dense and strong.