Bertholletia excelsa
Bertholletia excelsa
Safety & Hazards
Nuts from trees growing on barium-rich soils can accumulate up to 0.29% barium and should be avoided due to danger of barium toxicity[ 324 Title Edible Nuts. Publication Non-Wood Forest Products, Handbook 5 Author Wickens G.E. Website http://www.fao.org/docrep/ Publisher FAO, Rome. Year 1995 ISBN 92-5-103748-5 Description Detailed information on 20 of the most valuable nut crops, plus more basic information on a wide range of other nut-producing plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].
Botanical Description
Brazil nut is a large evergreen tree with a globose crown, that can grow 25 - 56 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 1 - 2 metres in diameter and is unbranched until near the top[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 454 Title Useful Fiber Plants of the World Publication Author Dodge C.R. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ Publisher USDA; Washington. Year 1897 ISBN Description A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. The seed is one of the most commonly consumed nuts in the world. The tree is not usually cultivated, the seed being gathered in large quantities from the wild and then exported from there to many other countries. The tree is also harvested from the wild for its wood and for local medicinal use. The tree has not as yet been much cultivated since it is abundant in the Amazon jungle, though some work on cultivating it has been carried out successfully in other humid tropical areas such as Malaya, Sri Lanka and the West Indies[ 63 Title Nuts. Publication Author Howes. F. N. Publisher Faber Year 1948 ISBN - Description Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable. ].