Cutnut fruit is a medium-sized evergreen tree, 15–25 m (50–80 ) tall. Nearly sessile leaves whorled at nodes. Shiny dark green, leathery, simple leaves 30–70 cm (12–28 in) long by 10–25 cm (4–10 in) wide. Yellow, white, or red owers with long stamens in showy, pendulous, brushlike spikes up to 1 m (3 ) long. Indehiscent fruits greenish-gray to purplish-gray, 6–11 cm (2–4 in) long. Each seed is enclosed by a - brous white to purple endocarp.
The cutnut is indigenous to the Solomon Islands, West Papua, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.
the tree grows wild in humid tropical lowlands and is common throughout its natural habitat. Rarely cultivated elsewhere. cutnut fruit plants in Kerala is rare see.
The tasty and nutritious seed kernels are eaten raw or roasted as snacks. In the Western Solomon Islands, the roasted kernels are baked into puddings together with edible hibiscus (Abelmoschus manihot) and coconut cream.
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