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Myristica fragrans

Authority	Houtt.
Family	Magnoliopsida:Magnoliidae:Magnoliales:Myristicaceae
Synonyms
Common names	(<b>Both for nutmeg and mace</b>):-, buah pala, chan ban, chan thed, chan thet, dau khau, djus hendi, dok chand, duguan, dza ti, fleur de muscade, foelie, fuli, gasbasa, German Muskatblüte, gewz, jaiphal, jatipatra, jatiphala, javinthri, javitri, jayfal, jaypatri, jayphal, jon tau kau, jon tou k'ou, josat al teeb, kathal, kembang pala, küçük hindistancevizi, lõhnav muskaadipuu, luk chand, mace, macia, macis, masi, moscada, muscade, múskat, múskath‡›i, muskatniy orekh, muskatnogo orekha, Muskatnuß, muskatnød, muskatnøtt, muskotblomma, muskotnöt, muskottikukka, muskottipähkin, mutwinda, nhuc dau khau, nikuzuku, noce moscata, noix de muscade, nootmuskaat, Norwegian muskatblomme, noz moscada, nuez moscada, nutmeg, pala, pock kak, pokok pala, rou dou kou, sadikka, sekar pala, Semen Myristicae, sushonaya shelukha, szerecsendió, szerecsendió virág, taifal, tau kau, wasa-vasi, zati
Editor
Ecocrop code	1514

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A small evergreen tree reaching 3-15 m or even up to 20 m in height, conical shaped if free growing. Leaves simple, elliptic to lanceolate, 5-15 x 3-7 cm. Fruits peach-shaped berries, 5-8 cm long, fleshy, splitting open into two halfs when ripe, showing the ovoid, 2-3 cm long dark brown shiny seed. USES The dry shelled seeds and mace (dried aril) are sold as spices whole or ground. They are used in confectionery, meats and soups. Essential oils and extracts are used in the canning industry, in soft drinks and in cosmetics, and also have medicinal properties. Shelled seeds can be used as a drug but the consumption of two ground seeds is said to cause death, due to the myristicin content. Old husks cam be used as a medium for mushroom production. Mentioned as a useful agroforestry species. GROWING PERIOD Perennial. Starts bearing in 5-8 years, reach peak production after 15-20 years and have an economical life of 30-40 years or 60-70 years. Fruits ripen 150-180 days after flowering. COMMON NAMES Nutmeg, Nutmeg and Mace, Mace, Muscade et Macis, Muscadier, Nuez moscada, Noce moscata, Muscade, Macis, Pala banda, Bunga pala, Buah pala, Chan theed, Chan thet, Dau khau, Goz el-tieb, Ehuru, Kungu, Abolakose, Ariwo. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: M. moschata, M. officinalis. Nutmeg is probably native of the southern Moluccas in the East Indian Archipelago. It thrives in the hot, humid climate of the tropical rain-forest and in insular maritime climates, without a pronounced dry season. It can be grown at altitudes from sea level to 500 m. Flowering is probably induced by short dry periodsIt need protection from strong winds. Shade seems to be beneficial in early growth. One tree may produce 1000-5000 fruits per year. Yields of nutmeg vary between 0.5-1.2 t. With 250 female trees/ha and 5 g per dry shelled seed production is 1250 kg of nutmegs per ha.
Sources
SOURCES (M. fragrans Houtt.) Purseglove J 1981 pp 174-228 [RAIN, TEMP, TEXT, FER, DRA, LIG] Roecklein J 1987 pp 396 [USE] Duke J 1975 pp 22 [PH, RAIN, TEMP] Williams C 1979a pp 229-230 [DEP, TEXT, RAIN, LIMIT, DRA] Purseglove J 1974 pp 391-397 [USE, FER, RAIN, TEMP, DRA, LIG] Lotschert W 1983 pp 210 Williams C 1982 Nair P 1980 pp 298-300 [USE, FER, DRA, LIG] Westphal E 1989 pp 192-196 [USE, LIMIT, TEXT, DRA] Iwu M 1993 pp 212-213 [USE]