Acioa edulis facts for kids

Acioa edulis is a special tree found in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. It belongs to a plant family called Chrysobalanaceae. In Portuguese, people often call it Castanha-de-cutia. This tree is important because it gives us both tasty fruit and useful wood. For many years, people used a valuable oil from its nuts, but they didn't know which tree produced it!

All About the Castanha-de-cutia Tree

Where This Tree Grows

The Castanha-de-cutia tree grows naturally only in a small part of Brazil. Even though the area is small, lots of these trees grow there. They are a natural part of the amazing Amazon rainforest environment.

What the Tree Looks Like

This tree can grow quite tall, reaching about 25 meters (that's about 82 feet) high. Its leaves are oval or round, usually about 8 to 10 centimeters (3 to 4 inches) across. Each leaf has a small stem, called a petiole, that can be up to 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long.

Its Amazing Fruit and Nuts

The fruits of the Castanha-de-cutia tree are about 8 to 9 centimeters (3 to 3.5 inches) long. They are also about 4 to 5 centimeters (1.75 to 2 inches) wide. Inside each fruit, there is a single nut. These nuts are special because they can float on water.

A Mystery Solved: The Discovery

For hundreds of years, people living in the Amazon collected these floating nuts. They used the nuts to get a valuable oil. But no one knew exactly which tree the nuts came from. It was a mystery until 1978! That's when a plant explorer named Ghillean Prance finally discovered the Acioa edulis tree. He found the tree that produces these special nuts.

How People Use This Tree

The fruit of the Castanha-de-cutia tree is safe to eat. You can also press the fruit to get oil. This oil is useful for cooking or for making soap. The kernel inside the nut is also edible, meaning you can eat it too!