Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany 123 



B. excelsa Humb. and Bonp. B. nobilis Miers. 



Tree 100 ft. or more high with trunk Tree somewhat taller than B. excelsa 

 2y 2 to 3 ft. in diameter. with trunk 14 ft. in diameter. 



Leaves green; petioles 9 to 18 lines Leaves rufescent; petioles 3 to 6 lines 

 long. long. 



Floral panicle 8 in. long with single Floral panicle 10 in. long with about 

 branch nearly equal in length and nodes 5 short branches and nodes Vi to % in. 

 1-6 in. apart. apart. 



Fruit slightly elongated, 6 in. in length. Fruit approximately spherical, usually 



under 5 in. in length. 

 Cortex of fruit smooth, polished, entire, Cortex of fruit comparatively thick and 

 persistent. rough, darker, contracting and crack- 



ing as the fruit dries and tending to 

 loosen and drop off as the fruit is 

 handled. 



Opercular opening with straight or con- Opercular opening has sharp edge and 

 cave walls, narrowing slightly at its concave walls, and widens considerably 

 inner edge. inwards. 



Operculum cylindrical with roundish, Operculum oval or radially compressed, 

 indented apex. conical and pointed at the apex. 



Operculum breaks away and falls from Operculum remains attached to remnant 

 the fruit as the columella shrivels. of columella and as the latter shrivels, 



falls into the cavity of the fruit. 



The differences noted above, as far as they relate to the fruit, are well shown 

 in the copy of Miers' drawing, reproduced half size in the accompanying Figure 46. 



The source of commercial Brazil nuts: — The idea that B. excelsa Humb. and 

 Bonp. is the source of commercial Brazil nuts has become so thoroughly grounded 

 in popular and even in botanical literature that it seems to be accepted on faith 

 and passes unchallenged. The extent of this belief will be apparent when we 

 consider that of the following quotations only the last two, or possibly three, make 

 any mention of a second species to which, moreover, they assign a wholly sub- 

 ordinate position. 



"Brazil nut. One of the triangular edible seeds of a tall South American 

 tree (Bertholletia excelsa) . . ." — Standard Twentieth Century Dictionary. 



"Brazil nut. The seed of the fruit of Bertholletia excelsa . . ." — Centurj 

 Dictionary. 



"Brazil nut, an oily 3-angled nut, the seed of the lecythidaceous Brazilian 

 tree, Bertholletia excelsa." — Webster's New International Dictionary. 



"Cream nut (Bertholletia excelsa Humb. and Bonp.) This is a common 

 nut in our markets brought from Brazil; hence it is often called Brazil nut." — Nut 

 Culture in U. S., p. 106, Div. of Pomology, U. S. D. A. 



"Brazil nuts, Cream nuts, Para nuts — These are edible nuts imported from 

 Brazil — The nuts are the product of Bertholletia excelsa (Humboldt and Bon- 

 pland) . . ."— U. S. Disp. 19th Ed. p. 1420. 



"Bertholletia excelsa. Brazil nut. 



"A large tree belonging to the family Lecythidaceae, and yielding the Brazil 

 or Para nuts of commerce. A tree 100 to 150 ft. high, distributed throughout 



