Brazil nut or para nut
Family Lecythidaceae
Bertholletia excelsa, the Brazil or para nut (B. excelsa 1), is a large tree, up to 40 m tall, with alternate, oblong and leathery leaves and pale yellow flowers, about 5 cm across, with numerous stamens. The fruit is a globose woody capsule (B. excelsa 2), containing up to 24 angular seeds with a woody skin.
Distribution and use
The angular seeds are the Brazil or para nuts, which are an important source of food for the Indians of the Amazon basin. All nuts that are consumed as dessert nuts in the US and Europe, are collected from wild trees in Brazil.