No subject


Thu Apr 10 15:59:49 PDT 2014


"Seeds, in this case, are drupes: fleshy, indehiscent fruits that contain
one or more seeds, each surrounded by a stony layer. The fruits pictured
here are from Canarium indicum L. (Burseraceae), one of more than 50
species of Canarium distributed from West Africa to Polynesia. Although the
standard English common name of canarium nut is used for any nut of the
genus Canarium, each species has diverse indigenous names.
Canarium indicum, for example, is known as galip in Papua New Guinea, ngali
in the Solomon Islands and nangai in Vanuatu. Among edible nut trees of the
South Pacific, the genus Canarium is considered to be of particular
economic potential because the nuts have a delicate almond-like taste and a
hard non-perishable shell. The trees are widely distributed in Melanesia
and have a long history of cultivation, which has led to the selection of
several domesticates now recognized as distinct species. Additional
information about canarium and other edible nuts of the Pacific can be
found in Stevens, M.L., R.M. Bourke and B.R. Evans. 1996. South Pacific
Indigenous Nuts. Canberra, Australian Centre for International Agricultural
Research. Contact: Paul Ferrar, ACIAR, GPO Box 1571,  Canberra City 2601,
Australia, e-mail ferrar at aciar.gov.au "


Gerard's third Indian nut is listed under the heading "Of diuers sors of
Indian fruits". (Apparently he listed only the illustrations and the
descriptions were later added by Johnson.)  This appears to me to be a
picture of the American Hazelnut.  #24. "Nucula Indica racemosa. The
Indian, or rather Ginny Nut. ...the tree whereof this nut is the fruit
growes in Ginny, and is much vsed by the people there, for they presse a
liquor forth of the leaues, or else boyle them in water, & this serues them
in stead of wine & beare, or at least for a common drink, of the fruit they
make bread of a very sweet and pleasant taste."


HTH,

Cindy







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