436 



estal)lishe(l in 1(S0S by Humboldt and Bonpland, who placed in it 

 a single species. B. e.rcelsa. A translation of Bonpland's description 

 of the fruit of this species follows. 



Fruit a spherical compound nut of the size of a child's head 

 and often larger, divided internally into four cells each of which en- 

 closes several nuts; covered on its exterior with a husk of green 

 colour, smooth and shining. 



Main nut very solid, rough and marked by the branching fur- 

 rows on its outer surface, G lines (1 cm.) thick, divided internally 

 into four cells by as many membranous dissepiments which become 

 obliterated in part or entirely after the maturity of the fruit but 

 of which there always remain traces. 



The tree is described as 33 m. high (110 ft.) witli a trunk 9 

 dm. {:] ft) ill diameter. Leaves alternate, oblong, subcoriaceous, 

 1 chn. (4 in.) broad and G dm. ('2'34 in.) long, borne on short 

 ]>etioles. Type locality. Eio Orinoco. 



On account of the great height of tlie trees these ))otani.-ts were 

 unable to olitain the blossoms althougli it is said that they offered 

 in vain an ounce of gold for specimens. On tliis account tbey were 

 uncertain as to the po.-ition which the genus Berth oUpiia should 

 occupy in the vegetable kingdom." 



In 1855, Berg, monographing the Brazilian Myrtaceae within 

 which order the genus Bertholleiia falls, gave a new description, 

 which Miers (Trans. Linn, Society, London, Vol. XXX. 1873, 

 pip. 161) was quick to see diverged (from Bonpland's and Hum- 

 boldt's. Thereon, he made two specie.-. 11. e.rcelsa, Humb. and 

 Bonpl. and H. nohilis, Miers, the latter being B. e.rcelsa, Berg. 



He followed the first authors and ascribed the origin of the 

 Brazil-nut of commerce to B. e.rcelsa rather than to B. nohilis. 



But in 1911 Mr. \\ . J. Young (in tlie Botanical Gazette, 

 Hi. pp. 22G-231, and in the Pomona College Journal of 

 lu'onomie Botany, pp. 1 22-12 T — I have only t-een the latter), from 

 an examination of consignments, at the United States ports, of 

 fruits, declared Miers wrong and that B. nohilis is tlie origin of the 

 Brazfil-nut of connnerce; he states: — 



" Commercial samples of Brazil-nuts contain in larger or 

 f-nialler numbers, opercula derived from the fruit and the presence 

 of tliese in itself is evidence that the nuts were derived from B. 

 nohilis, since as had been noted (earlier in his paper), the opercula 

 fall from the mature pyxidia of B. excelsa and hence would not find 

 their way into the sample of nuts from that source. On the other 

 iiand their presence in the nmts from B. nohilis is perfectly normal 

 and what would l)e expected since in this species the opercula fall 

 into the interior of tlie pyxidia and become mixed with the nuts. 

 They vary in form from ovoidal bodies to cones of varying slope 

 and all ))rovi(k'd witli a distinct apical point. 



Every ])y\idium of the Brazil-nut the writer has examined, 

 has indicated that the fruit is that of B. nohilis. Their main 



