Brazil nut

species of plant, Brazil nut

The Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is a tree from the family Lecythidaceae. It is native to South America. The trees are known for their nuts that come from the fruit of the plant.

Brazil nut tree
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Lecythidaceae
Subfamily: Lecythidoideae
Genus: Bertholletia
Bonpl.
Species:
B. excelsa
Binomial name
Bertholletia excelsa
Humb. & Bonpl.

The plant

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Brazil nut fruit with shelled and de-shelled nuts.

The Brazil nut is known to be a large tree in the Amazon rainforest. It can be about 50 m (160 ft) tall and the diameter of its trunk is about 1 to 2 m (3 ft 3 in to 6 ft 7 in). It could live for 500 years. Some trees could also reach a thousand years of age.[1] The stem is straight and commonly does not have branches in half of itself.

References

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  1. Taitson, Bruno (January 18, 2007). "Harvesting nuts, improving lives in Brazil". World Wildlife Fund. Archived from the original on May 23, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2012.