Mata-cacau
Acanthosyris paulo-alvinii
Family: Santalaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests near the Atlantic in Brazil.
Countries/locations it is found in
Bolivia, Brazil, South America
How it is used for food
The nuts are large, tasty and nutritious.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seeds. The seeds are collected from ripe fruit and are partly decomposed in a plastic bag then the seeds removed under running water. Seeds need to be planted fresh. The seedlings germinate in 40-60 days.
Plants grow rapidly.