Vernicia montana

Vernicia montana, the mu oil tree, or chine wood oil tree, is a species of Vernicia in the spurge family, native to Southeast Asia (including Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam) and southern China. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching a height 20 m. The Latin specific epithet montana refers to mountains or coming from mountains. The leaves are large with three lobes. The monoecious white-petaled flowers emerged as inflorescences, containing both male and female flowers. The 2 - 3 in fruit is a globular drupe with wrinkled skin that turns from green to yellow upon ripening. Each fruit contains 3 seeds, rich in oil.

Cultivation and uses
Vernicia montana is grown mostly for the seeds from which a varnish is made similar to the tung tree. The oil is prized as a wood finish. As the tree prefers well drained, sandy soils, the trees are grown on hillside plantations in northern Vietnam. In nature, V montana can be found at the margins of primary forests.

The wood is also harvested.