Bertholletia excelsa

Bertholletia excelsa, commonly known as the Brazil nut or Pará nut, is a South American tree species in the family Lecythidaceae, and it is also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seeds.

Taxonomy

The Bertholletia excelsa was first described by the French botanist Jean Louis Marie Poiret. It is named after the French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet.

Description

Bertholletia excelsa is a large tree, reaching up to 50 meters (160 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 meters (6.6 ft). It can live for 500 years or more, and according to some authorities often reaches an age of 1,000 years. The stem is straight and commonly without branches for well over half the tree's height, with a large emergent crown of long branches above the surrounding canopy of other trees.

Distribution and habitat

The Bertholletia excelsa tree is native to the Guanian Shield in northern Brazil, eastern Colombia, eastern Peru, and eastern Bolivia. It occurs as scattered trees in large forests on the banks of the Amazon River, Rio Negro, Tapajós, and the Orinoco. The tree requires a tropical climate with abundant rainfall.

Ecology

The flowers are pollinated by orchid bees, which visit the flowers to gather volatile fragrances, a resource they need for mating. The fruit takes 14 months to mature after pollination of the flowers. The fruit itself is a large capsule 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) in diameter, resembling a coconut endocarp in size and weighing up to 2 kg (4.4 lb).

Uses

The Bertholletia excelsa tree's most notable product is its fruit, the Brazil nut. The nuts are a valuable source of dietary selenium. The wood is of low quality, but is used for making furniture and charcoal.

Conservation

The Bertholletia excelsa tree is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Its habitat is being reduced at an alarming rate through deforestation for agriculture and pasture, illegal logging, and industrial activities.

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