Bertholletia excelsa (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Bertholletia exelsa Humb. & Bonpl.
- Family: Lecythidaceae
Synonyms
Bertholletia nobilis Miers.
Vernacular names
- Brazil nut, para nut (En). Noyer du Brésil (Fr).
Distribution
Grows wild in the Amazon forest. Occasionally planted in South-East Asia.
Uses
Seeds are valued as nuts. An edible oil is prepared from the seed-kernels.
Observations
Very large tree, height to 50 m, trunk diameter 1-2 m, branched only in the upper parts generally. Fruit capsule-like, globose, with thick-walled woody shell, brown, 12-15 cm in diameter, containing 12-25 seeds. Seeds angular, with brown, woody shell, 3-5 cm long. Occurs in dense lowland rain forests. Widely distributed above the flood level, sometimes in nearly pure stands. Nearly all the world's supply of over 50 000 t/year is collected from the wild. Trees start bearing 10-20 years after planting.
Selected sources
10, 26, 28, 66.