1911] YOUNG—BRAZIL NUT 227 
later botanists to contribute to this end may be mentioned BERG, 
who in monographing the Brazilian Lecythidaceae described under 
B. excelsa a species distinct from that of HumpBoipr and Bon- 
PLAND.* Although BERc’s description is marred by several errors, 
it is sufficiently accurate to demonstrate that the species described 
is not the B. excelsa of BONPLAND. BeErco’s drawing of the fruit 
or pyxidium is moreover quite different from that of BoNPLAND. 
It remained, however, for Mr. J. Mrers to point out clearly 
the distinction between the two plants and to describe BERG’s 
species under the name B. nobilis. 
The more noticeable points of distinction between B. excelsa 
and B. nobilis are collected from MreErs’s description in the follow- 
ing summary: 
B. excelsa Humb. and Bonp. 
Tree 1oo ft. or more high, with 
trunk 2.5-3 ft. in diameter. 
Leaves green; petioles 9-18 lines 
long. 
Floral panicle 8 in. long, with 
single branch ae! equal in length, 
and nodes + in. apart. 
Fruit slightly gee 0.16 in. 
in length 
Cortex of fruit smooth, palish, 
entire, persistent. 
Opercular opening with straight 
or concave walls, narrowing slightly 
at its inner edge. 
Operculum cylindrical, with round- 
ish, indented apex. 
Operculum breaks away and falls 
from the fruit as the columella 
shrivels. 
B. nobilis Miers. 
Tree somewhat taller than B. ex- 
celsa, with trunk 14 ft. in diameter. 
Leaves rufescent; petioles 3-6 
lines long. 
Floral panicle 10 in. long, with 
about 5 short branches, and nodes 
©.25-0.5 in. apart. 
Fruit approximately — spherical , 
usually under 5 in. in diameter. 
Cortex of fruit comparatively 
thick and rough, darker, cracking 
as the fruit dries and tending to 
loosen and drop off as the fruit is 
han 
Opercular opening with sharp edge 
and concave walls, and widening con- 
siderably inward. 
Operculum oval or radially com- 
pressed, conical and pointed at the 
apex. 
Operculum remains attached to 
remnant of columella an 
latter shrivels, falls into the cavity 
of the fruit. 
co 
i 
fo] 
4 Berc in Martius’ Flora Braziliensis, I. 142478. 
5 Miers, J.,On the Lecythidaceae, Bertholletia. Trans. Linn. Soc. II. 30: 195-199. 
