Common Name: Souari Nut

General Information

Souari nut is a very large tree that can reach a height of 45 metres[]. The bole is buttressed[].
The edible nut is said to be one of the best nuts grown in the Tropics[]. It is commonly gathered from the wild by local people in its native range[] and the tree is cultivated to a limited extent in the West Indies[]. The seed is sold in local markets[]. The plant has been considered for commercial cultivation, but is rather fastidious concerning its soil and environmental needs[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Northern S. America - Brazil to Guyana.

Habitat

Deep loams and fertile sandy soils in riverside forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	45.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the humid, lowland, tropical forests, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres[, ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 21 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 35°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,600 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 1,200 - 2,400mm[].
Grows best in a sunny position[]. Prefers well-drained, light loams of good depth and fertile sandy soils[, ]. Dislikes poor soils[]. Plants are very susceptible to drought[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 6.5, tolerating 5.5 - 7[].
Fruits take about 4 months to ripen from flowering[].
Plants can take up to 20 years to produce their first crop from seed, though this can be greatly reduced by applying shade and wind protection when the plants are young[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked. The large, soft, white kernels have a delicious, rich, almond-like flavour and are enclosed in a hard shell[, , ]. The seed contains over 60% fat[]. The kidney-shaped kernel is usually well over 5cm long and 2cm in diameter[]. The seed shell is about 7mm thick and difficult to crack[]. The large fruit containing the seeds can weigh up to 11kg and measure 18cm in diameter, it contains 1 - 4 seeds (usually 1 or 2) which are easily extracted from it[, ].

An edible oil is obtained from the seed[]. Excellent for preparing bakery products[].

Fruit - cooked[]. The oily, yellow pulp is cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The whole plant is used as a febrifuge[].

Other Uses

Wood - hard and durable[]. A potentially valuable timber, well suited for making canoes and the crooks of boats, but little used because of the tree's value as a seed producer[].

Propagation

Seed - takes 6 - 12 months to germinate[]. Grow young plants on in a sheltered position with some shelter from the sun[].

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