Lecythidaceae

views updated May 23 2018

Lecythidaceae A family of trees in which the leaves are simple and crowded at the twig tips, and rarely have stipules. The flowers are hermaphrodite and sometimes cauliflorous. There are 4–6 sepals and petals and many stamens, fused at the base and sometimes strongly one-sided in development. The ovary is inferior, and fused to the receptacle. The flowers are frequently nocturnal and bat-pollinated. The fruit is a berry or woody capsule, opening by a lid. There are 20 genera, with about 280 species, occurring in the tropics and concentrated strongly in S. American rain forests.

Brazil nuts

views updated May 21 2018

Brazil nuts From wild trees of Bertholletia excelsa. A 60‐g portion (eighteen nuts) is an exceptionally rich source of selenium; a rich source of vitamins B1 and E; a good source of protein, niacin, and calcium; a source of iron; contains 40 g of fat, of which 25% is saturated and 40% mono‐unsaturated; provides 5.5 g of dietary fibre; supplies 400 kcal (1680 kJ).

Brazil nut

views updated May 14 2018

Brazil nut Seed of an evergreen tree, which has leathery leaves and grows to 41m (135ft) tall. Its flowers produce a thick-walled fruit 10–30.5cm (4–12in) in diameter which contain 25–40 large seeds. Family Lecythidaceae; species Bertholletia excelsa.

About this article

Brazil nuts

All Sources -
Updated Aug 08 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic