– **Taxonomy and Nomenclature**:
– Scientific name: Caryocar nuciferum
– Synonyms: Caryocar tuberculosum, Pekea tuberculosa
– Common names: butter-nut of Guiana, pekea-nut, souari-nut
– Native regions: northern Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Panama, Venezuela
– **Physical Description**:
– Tree height: up to 35m
– Fruit size: coconut-sized, 10-15cm in diameter
– Fruit color: greyish-brown
– Outer skin: leathery, 1mm thick, rust-colored lenticels
– Kernel: large, soft, sweeter than almond
– **Nutritional Value**:
– Pulp of mesocarp: oily and sticky
– Seeds: 1-4 hard, woody, warty stones
– Endocarp: reniform, eaten raw or roasted
– Oil production: nondrying edible oil
– Healing properties: oil from nuts used for effective balm
– **Uses**:
– Wood: durable, used for boat-building
– Oil: edible and used for various purposes
– Fruit consumption: raw or roasted
– Culinary uses: similar taste to almond
– Medicinal applications: healing balm production
– **Historical References**:
– Mention in Encyclopædia Britannica (1911)
– Illustration in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine (1827)
– Material sent from Saint Vincent by Revd. Lansdown Guilding
– Described as one of the finest fruits called nuts
– Historical significance in botanical literature