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caryocar

Scientific Name: Caryocar

Family: Caryocaraceae

Category: Dicot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Caryocar: The Souari Tree Genus

Caryocar is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Caryocaraceae. Described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1771, it comprises trees native to South and Central America.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Caryocar F. Allam. ex L.
  • Family: Caryocaraceae
  • Kingdom: Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
  • Synonyms & Common Names:
    • Caryocar brasiliense, known as Pequi or souari nut
    • Caryocar nuciferum, the butter-nut of Guiana, also known as pekea-nut, souari-nut, or sawarri-nut.
    • Caryocar tomentosum, Caryocar tuberculosum, Pekea tuberculosa.

Considerations for Pets

  • Caryocar amygdaliferum fruit has a spiny husk.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to South and Central America (Neotropics), especially Amazonia.
  • Specific locations mentioned include: Brazil (especially central-west), Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, and the Guianas.
  • In Costa Rica and Panama, occurrences are scarce and confined to protected areas.

Ecological Role

  • Caryocar brasiliense trees have a wide distribution.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Trees of the genus Caryocar often have strong, fine-grained wood.
  • Fruits are large and clustered, containing edible nuts.
  • Caryocar amygdaliferum fruit consists of a spiny husk.
  • The fruit pulp of Caryocar villosum is butter-textured and yellowish.

Traditional Uses and Interactions

  • Fruits of some Caryocar species are edible and popular in certain regions, such as Caryocar brasiliense (Pequi) in central Brazil.
  • Caryocar coriaceum is frequently used in folk medicine to treat various afflictions.
  • Caryocar microcarpum is reported to be an ant repellent and fish poison.
  • Caryocar brasiliense is associated with leaflet globoid galls caused by oviposition and feeding behavior of galling organisms.
  • Caryocar brasiliense has been found to host a new species of Dikrella Oman, 1949 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae)

Related Species

  • Caryocar has a distant affinity to Manihot esculenta (manihot), Passiflora edulis (Passion Flower), and Erythroxylum coca (Coca).

Further Information

  • Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research.
  • Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany.
  • ARKive for photos and facts.