ABSTRACT
This chapter provides information on uses, folk medicine, germplasm, distribution, ecology, cultivation, harvesting, yields, energy, and biotic factors of butternuts. This is probably one of the most popular edible nuts in the genus Caryocar. Without voucher material, people can only guess to which species the various data refer. The timber of the roots is used for making crooks in boats and for canoes. Apparently all the species have a high oil content in the pericarp and kernel. The pericarp oil is suggestive of palm oil. The tuberculate large fruits and large flowers are larger than those of any other Caryocar. According to MacMillan, the tree grows well in the moist low country of Sri Lanka, especially in rich deep loams or alluvial soils. According to Burkill, it may fruit at 5 years of age, but usually takes 2 to 3 times as long. Introduced into Singapore in 1899, it did not fruit until 20 years old, but flowered years before.
