Collier's New Encyclopedia

A complete general encyclopedia of 1921 — the world as it was understood just after the Great War, from Aachen to Zwingli, across twelve volumes and six thousand pages.

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Bertholletia

named after Count Berthollet, a genus of plants belonging to the order lecythidaceæ. The only species is a large tree, growing growing 100 feet high, with a diameter of two feet, found in the forests which fringe the Orinoco.

It has yellowish white flowers. The fruit is the size of a man's head, with four cells and six or eight nuts. These are called Brazil, or, from the place where they are shipped, Para nuts. They are eatable and furnish a bland oil used by watchmakers and artists. At Para the fibrous bark of the tree is used in place of oakum.

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