Description
The botanical illustration shows the nutmeg (Myristica fragrans). The leaves are dark green, leathery, elliptical in shape and taper to a point. The small, pale yellow or cream-coloured flowers grow in the leaf axils. The pear-shaped fruits split open when ripe, exposing the seed. A bright red, net-like tissue (mace) surrounds the dark seed. The hard, dark kernel contains the actual nutmeg with its characteristic marbled structure inside.
Plate: Geneva Conservatory and Botanical Garden – 1990
