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Plants

sapucaia nut

Lecythis pisonis Cambess.

Family: Lecythidaceae · Genus: Lecythis

monkey pot tree, paradise nut

Climax Emergent Mulch biomass
Nando cunha · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons

Amazonian and coastal Atlantic Forest tree, cousin of Brazil nut. EcoAgri lists it in the high stratum of the '> 50 years' bin. Huge woody fruits (pots) hold edible oil-rich seeds; one of the tallest trees in Brazil.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Climax
Ecological role
Climax
Primary stratum
Emergent
Strata
Emergent, High
Biomass class
Mulch biomass

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
High
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Preferred soil texture
Clayey, Loamy
Hardiness zones
10–12

Morphology

Mature height
25–45 m
Root system
Taproot
Root depth
Deep
Growth rate
Slow
Lifespan
≥ 200 years
Time to first harvest
120 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Sapucaia nut takes the Emergent stratum in the Climax phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent · ≈45 m High Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Deciduous species typical of the coastal Atlantic Forest; flowering coincides with the flush of red new leaves. Fruit ripens about 7 months after fertilization; in SP/RJ it flowers October–December with fruit maturing December–April. Its semi-deciduous habit and emergent stature require full-sun planting at maturity.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: October, November, December

Fruiting months: December, January, February, March, April

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of sapucaia nut?

The first harvest of sapucaia nut comes around 120 months after planting.

How tall does sapucaia nut grow?

At maturity, sapucaia nut reaches 25–45 m tall.

When does sapucaia nut fruit?

Fruiting of sapucaia nut occurs in December, January, February, March, April.

When does sapucaia nut flower?

Flowering of sapucaia nut occurs in October, November, December.

What stage and stratum does sapucaia nut occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, sapucaia nut belongs to the climax stage, occupying the emergent stratum.

Functions

🌰 Nut Oil seed Timber Ornamental

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. EcoAgri — Organização de algumas espécies vegetais por tempo de vida (placentas) e estrato (Cartilha 'Liberdade e Vida com Agrofloresta') , p. 6 (primary_stratum, gotsch_stage)
  2. Embrapa — Espécies Arbóreas Brasileiras vol. 2: Sapucaia (Lecythis pisonis) (phenology, height_min_m, height_max_m, cultivation_notes, root_system)
  3. Biologia da Paisagem — Lecythis pisonis (sapucaia) (phenology, cultivation_notes)

External references

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