Stats

Lifespan: Up to 80 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Southeast Asia
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Rare

About

The nutmeg tree is the only plant that yields two distinct spices — nutmeg from its seed and mace from the lacy red aril surrounding it. Native to the Banda Islands of Indonesia, it was so prized in the 17th century that European empires waged wars and committed atrocities to control its trade.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Myristicaceae
Genus: Myristica
Species: Myristica fragrans