Nutmeg

An evergreen tree in the Myristicaceae family, native to the Moluccas of Indonesia, now cultivated throughout the tropics (Indonesia, Grenada, etc.). Japanese name 'niku-zuku'. Two spices come from it: nutmeg (the ground seed) and mace (the dried red aril enclosing the seed). Its warm sweet fragrance is widely used in meat dishes, baked goods, and drinks. Large doses cause hallucinations and poisoning; only small amounts are used as spice. Historically the cause of the 16th-century 'Spice Wars'.

Identification Points

• ✓Evergreen tree 10–20 m tall
• ✓Alternate glossy elliptic leaves
• ✓Peach-like fruit splitting at maturity to reveal the seed in a red aril

Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification

Phylogenetic Positionニクズク科 →