Caryocar

Caryocar
Pekea-nut (Caryocar nuciferum)[1]
Caryocar brasiliense
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Caryocaraceae
Genus: Caryocar
F.Allam. ex L.
Synonyms[2]
  • Pekea Aubl. 1775 not Juss. 1789 (Lecythidaceae)
  • Saouari Aubl.
  • Rhizobolus G.Gaertn. ex Schreb.
  • Barollaea Neck.
  • Acantacaryx Arruda ex Koster, not validly published
  • Acanthocarya Arruda ex Endl.

Caryocar (souari trees) is a genus of flowering plants, in the South American family Caryocaraceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1771.[3][4] It is native primarily to South America with a few species extending into Central America and the West Indies.[2]

Caryocar consists of trees that yield a strong timber. Some of the species within the genus Caryocar have edible fruits, called souari-nuts or sawarri-nuts.[5] The most well-known species is probably the Pekea-nut (C. nuciferum). In Brazil the Pequi (C. brasiliense) is most popular; it has a variety of uses, not the least among them being the production of pequi oil. Furthermore, some species are used by indigenous peoples to produce poisons for hunting.

Species[2]
  1. Caryocar amygdaliferum Mutis - Colombia, Panama
  2. Caryocar amygdaliforme G.Don - Ecuador, N Peru
  3. Caryocar brasiliense A.St.-Hil. - Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
  4. Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. - N Brazil
  5. Caryocar costaricense Donn.Sm. - Costa Rica
  6. Caryocar cuneatum Wittm. - Brazil
  7. Caryocar dentatum Gleason - NW Brazil, Bolivia
  8. Caryocar edule Casar. - Bahia, Rio de Janeiro
  9. Caryocar glabrum (Aubl.) Pers. - French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil
  10. Caryocar microcarpum Ducke - Lesser Antilles, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia
  11. Caryocar montanum Prance - Guyana, Bolívar, Roraima
  12. Caryocar nuciferum L. - Pekea-nut, Butter-nut of Guinea - St. Kitts, St. Vincent, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, N Brazil
  13. Caryocar pallidum A.C.Sm. - NW Brazil, S Venezuela, Bolivia
  14. Caryocar villosum (Aubl.) Pers. - French Guiana, Venezuela, N Brazil, Colombia
  1. ^ 1847 illustration from Flore des serres et des jardins de l’Europe by Charles Lemaire and others. Gent, Louis van Houtte, 1847, volume 3 (plate 183-184).
  2. ^ a b c Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. ^ Linnaeus, Carl von. 1771. Mantissa Plantarum 2: 154, 247
  4. ^ Tropicos, Caryocar L.
  5. ^ Hoehne (1946)