Caryocar

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

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. 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
 * 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