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{{Short description|Genus of plants indigenous to Australia}}
{{Taxobox
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2014}}
| name = ''Macadamia''
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
| image = Macadamia integrifolia.jpg
{{Automatic taxobox
| image_width = 230px
| image = Macadamia nuts on tree.JPG
| image_caption = ''Macadamia integrifolia'' foliage and nuts
| image_caption = Macadamia nuts
| regnum = ]
| display_parents = 3
| divisio = ]
| taxon = Macadamia
| classis = ]
| authority = ]
| ordo = ]
| type_species = '']''
| familia = ]
| type_species_authority = ] & ]
| genus = '''''Macadamia'''''
| genus_authority = ]
| subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = | subdivision =
* '']'' {{Au|] & ]}}
'']''<br/>
'']''<br/> * '']'' {{Au|C.L.Gross & P.H.Weston}}
'']''<br/> * '']'' {{Au|]}}
* '']'' {{Au|]}}
'']''<br/>
'']''<br/>
'']''<br/>
'']''<br/>
'']''<br />
'']''<br />
}} }}


'''''Macadamia''''' is a ] of four ] of trees in the ] family ].<ref name="APNI">{{cite web |url=https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/99964 |title=''Macadamia'' |website=] (APNI) |publisher=Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, ] |access-date=15 March 2023}}</ref><ref name=Mastetal2008>{{Cite journal | last1 = Mast | first1 = Austin R. | last2 = Willis | first2 = Crystal L. | last3 = Jones | first3 = Eric H. | last4 = Downs | first4 = Katherine M. | last5 = Weston | first5 = Peter H. | date = July 2008 | title = A smaller ''Macadamia'' from a more vagile tribe: inference of phylogenetic relationships, divergence times, and diaspore evolution in ''Macadamia'' and relatives (tribe Macadamieae; Proteaceae) | journal = American Journal of Botany | volume = 95 | issue = #7 | pages = 843–870 | issn = 1537-2197 | doi = 10.3732/ajb.0700006 | pmid = 21632410 }}</ref> They are indigenous to Australia, native to northeastern ] and central and southeastern ] specifically. Two species of the ] are commercially important for their fruit, the '''macadamia nut''' {{IPAc-en|ˌ|m|æ|k|ə|ˈ|d|eɪ|m|i|ə}} (or simply '''macadamia'''). Global production in 2015 was {{convert|160000|t|ST}}.<ref name="fp">{{cite web | url=http://www.freshplaza.com/article/137977/South-Africa-becomes-king-of-macadamia-nuts-again | title=South Africa becomes king of macadamia nuts again | publisher=FreshPlaza | date=14 April 2015 | access-date=9 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010043705/http://www.freshplaza.com/article/137977/South-Africa-becomes-king-of-macadamia-nuts-again | archive-date=10 October 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Other names include '''Queensland nut''', '''bush nut''', '''maroochi nut''', '''bauple nut''' and, in the US, they are also known as '''Hawaii nut'''.<ref name="bopplenut">{{Cite web|title=The Bopple Nut|url=http://www.bauplemuseum.com/bopple%20nut%20pub.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811101924/http://bauplemuseum.com/bopple%20nut%20pub.pdf|archive-date=11 August 2014|access-date=19 June 2014|website=Bauple Museum}}</ref> It was an important source of ] for the ].
'''''Macadamia''''' is a ] of nine ] of ]s in the family ], with a ] native to eastern ] (seven species), ] (one species '''') and ] ] (one species, ''M. hildebrandii''). They also make great cookies out of them.


] cut in half]]
They are small to large ] ]s growing to 6–40 feet tall. The ] are arranged in whorls of three to six, lanceolate to obovate or elliptical in ], 6–30 cm long and 2–13 cm broad, with an entire or spiny-serrated margin. The ]s are produced in a long slender simple ] 5–30 cm long, the individual flowers 10–15 mm long, white to pink or purple, with four ]s. The ] is a very hard woody globose ] with a pointed apex, containing one or two ]s.
]
]


The nut was first commercially produced on a wide scale in ], where Australian seeds were introduced in the 1880s, and for more than a century they were the world's largest producer.<ref name="TG-20201212">{{cite news |last1=Kean |first1=Zoe |title=In a nutshell: how the macadamia became a 'vulnerable' species |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/12/in-a-nutshell-how-the-macadamia-became-a-vulnerable-species-aoe |access-date=14 December 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=12 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RES-039.pdf|series=Research extension series|issn=0271-9916|title=Macadamia nuts in Hawaii: History and production|last1=Shigeura|first1=Gordon T.|first2=Hiroshi|last2=Ooka|date=April 1984|publisher=University of Hawaii. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources|access-date=1 June 2020|archive-date=22 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922090216/https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RES-039.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> South Africa has been the world's largest producer of the macadamia since the 2010s.
The genus is named after ], who was a colleague of the ], ], who first described the genus. Common names include '''Macadamia''', '''Macadamia nut''', '''Queensland nut''', '''Bush nut''', '''Maroochi nut''' and '''Bauple nut'''; ] names include '''Kindal Kindal''' and '''Jindilli'''.<br clear = left>


The macadamia is the only widely grown food plant that is native to Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/blog/2024/02/08/australian-plants-can-be-new-food-crops-for-sustainable-agricultural-systems/|title=Australian plants can be new food crops for sustainable agricultural systems|date=8 February 2024}}</ref>
==Cultivation and uses==
]


==Description==
The ] are a valuable ]. Only two of the species, '']'' and '']'', are of commercial importance. The remainder of the genus possess poisonous and/or inedible nuts, such as ''M. whelanii'' and ''M. ternifolia''; the toxicity is due to the presence of ]. These glycosides can be removed by prolonged ], a practice carried out by some ] people in order to use these species as well.
''Macadamia'' is an ] ] that grows {{Convert|2|–|12|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} tall.


The leaves are arranged in ]s of three to six, ] to ] or ] in ], {{convert|60|–|300|mm|in|frac=2|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} long and {{convert|30|–|130|mm|in|frac=8|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} broad, with an entire or spiny-serrated margin. The flowers are produced in a long, slender, and simple ] {{convert|50|–|300|mm|in|frac=2|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} long, the individual flowers {{convert|10|–|15|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} long, white to pink or purple, with four ]s. The fruit is a hard, woody, globose ] with a pointed apex containing one or two ]s. The nutshell ("coat") is particularly tough and requires around 2000 ] to crack. The shell material is five times harder than ] shells<!--by density--> and has mechanical properties similar to ]. It has a ] of 35.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schüler |first1=Paul |last2=Speck |first2=Thomas |last3=Bührig-Polaczek |first3=Andreas |last4=Fleck |first4=Claudia |last5=Buehler |first5=Markus J. |title=Structure-Function Relationships in Macadamia integrifolia Seed Coats – Fundamentals of the Hierarchical Microstructure |journal=PLOS ONE|date=7 August 2014 |volume=9 |issue=#8 |pages=e102913 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0102913|pmid=25102155 |pmc=4125148 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...9j2913S |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jennings |first1=J. S. |last2=Macmillan |first2=N. H. |title=A tough nut to crack |journal=Journal of Materials Science |date=May 1986 |volume=21 |issue=#5 |pages=1517–1524 |doi=10.1007/BF01114704|bibcode=1986JMatS..21.1517J |s2cid=136850984 }}</ref>
The two species of ] macadamia readily hybridise, and ''M. tetraphylla'' is threatened in the wild due to this. Wild nut trees were originally found at ] near ] in SE ], Australia. Locals in this area still refer to them as "Bauple nuts". The macadamia nut is the only plant food native to Australia that is produced and exported in any significant quantity.


==Taxonomy==
], Australian botanist, wrote in 1889 "It is well worth extensive cultivation, for the nuts are always eagerly bought."<ref> Maiden, J.H., ''The Useful Native Plants of Australia'', 1889, p40 </ref> The first commercial orchard of macadamia trees was planted in the early 1880s by Mr Charles Staff at Rous Mill, 12 km south east of ], consisting of ''M. tetraphylla''.<ref> Power, J., ''Macadamia Power in a Nutshell'', 1982, ISBN 0-9592892-0-8, p. 13.</ref> Besides the development of a small boutique industry in Australia during the late 19th and early 20th century, macadamia was extensively planted as a commercial crop in ] from the 1900s. The Hawaiian-produced macadamia established the nut internationally.


=== Species ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific Name !! Distribution
|-
|] ||'']'' {{au|] & ]}}||south east Queensland and northern New South Wales
|-
|] || '']'' {{au|C.L.Gross & P.H.Weston}} || Queensland
|-
|] || '']'' {{au|]}}||Queensland
|-
|] || '']'' {{au|]}}||Queensland
|-
|}


Nuts from ''M. jansenii'' and ''M. ternifolia'' contain ].<ref name="Sharma">{{cite journal | last1=Sharma | first1=Priyanka | last2=Murigneux | first2=Valentine | last3=Haimovitz | first3=Jasmine | last4=Nock | first4=Catherine J. | last5=Tian | first5=Wei | last6=Kharabian Masouleh | first6=Ardashir | last7=Topp | first7=Bruce | last8=Alam | first8=Mobashwer | last9=Furtado | first9=Agnelo | last10=Henry | first10=Robert J. | title=The genome of the endangered ''Macadamia jansenii'' displays little diversity but represents an important genetic resource for plant breeding | journal=Plant Direct | volume=5 | issue=12 | year=2021 | pages=e364 | issn=2475-4455 | doi=10.1002/pld3.364| pmid=34938939| pmc=8671617 }}</ref><ref name="Dahler">{{cite journal | last1=Dahler | first1=JM | last2=Mcconchie | first2=C | last3=Turnbull | first3=CGN | title=Quantification of Cyanogenic Glycosides in Seedlings of Three Macadamia (Proteaceae) Species | journal=Australian Journal of Botany | year=1995 | volume=43 | issue=6 | issn=1444-9862 | doi=10.1071/bt9950619 | pages=619–628 | url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/bt/bt9950619 | access-date=2022-02-16}}</ref> The other two species are cultivated for the commercial production of macadamia nuts for human consumption.
]


Previously, more species with ]s were named as members of this genus ''Macadamia''.<ref name=Mastetal2008/> Genetics and ] studies published in 2008 show they have separated from the genus ''Macadamia'', correlating less closely than thought from earlier morphological studies.<ref name=Mastetal2008/> The species previously named in the genus ''Macadamia'' may still be referred to overall by the descriptive, non-scientific name of macadamia.
The macadamia tree is usually propagated by ], and does not begin to produce commercial quantities of nuts until it is 7–10 years old, but once established, may continue bearing for over 100 years. Macadamias prefer fertile, well-drained soils, a rainfall of 1,000–2,000 mm, and temperatures not falling below 10°C (although once established they can withstand light frosts), with an optimum temperature of 25°C. The roots are shallow and trees can be blown down in storms; they are also susceptible to '']'' root disease. Outside of Australia, commercial production is also established in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Australia is now the world's largest commercial producer - at approximately 40,000 tonnes of nut in shell per year.


;Formerly included in the genus:
The macadamia nut's kernel is extremely hard to mine out of its shell (it requires about 300 ] or 2000 ] to crack), but after some time in a warm and dry place the shell may develop big cracks. The nut can be opened then with a screwdriver, though the warm dry conditions also reduce the nutritional value of the nut. The shell is most easily cracked with a metalworking bench ], but care must be taken not to crush the kernel in the process. The nuts can be opened simply by locating the seam line on the shell (This seam line can be located by looking carefully at the shell) and placing a knife blade on the line and tapping with a hammer. The shell will open and allow the nut to be removed whole. A safer and quicker alternative is to use a Ratchet style PVC pipe cutter. Place the cutter blade on the seam line and ratchet it closed—the shell will split and allow the nut to be removed. When nuts have dried for a period of time the kernel will fall out (with green or fresh nuts the kernel may stick in the shell). The nuts can also be smashed open with a hammer or heavy solid kitchen tool or simply opened using a ratchet style nutcracker. Boiling the nuts for a few minutes in a pot until the nuts rise to the surface is also a good way as it causes the nuts to crack. Nuts of the "Arkin Papershell" variety, cultivated by retired stockbroker ], each have a blemish or small crack somewhere on the shell, and the shell will crack open readily if left for a few days, or if struck properly with a hammer.
;'']'' {{au|P.H.Weston & ]}}, formerly ''Macadamia'' until 2008
* '']'' {{au|(C.L.Gross & ]) ] & A.R.Mast}}; synonym, ]: ''Macadamia claudiensis'' {{au|C.L.Gross & B.Hyland}}
* '']'' {{au|(J.A.McDonald & R.Ismail) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonym, base name: ''Macadamia erecta'' {{au|J.A.McDonald & R.Ismail}}<br />A tree ] to the island of ], Indonesia. First described by science in 1995.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41761991|title=Macadamia erecta (Proteaceae), a New Species from Sulawesi |publisher=Harvard University Herbaria|journal=Harvard Papers in Botany|author=J. Andrew McDonald and Ismail, R.|date=September 1995|volume=1 |issue=#7 |pages=7–10 |jstor=41761991 |access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref>
* '']'' {{au|(C.L.Gross & B.Hyland) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonym, base name: ''Macadamia grandis'' {{au|C.L.Gross & B.Hyland}}
* '']'' {{au|(]) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonym, base name: ''Macadamia hildebrandii'' {{au|Steenis}}<!--, Reinwardtia i: 475. 1952. --><br />Another species endemic to Sulawesi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Macadamia+hildebrandii|title=Macadamia hildebrandii - Steenis|publisher=Plants for a Future|access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://smujo.id/biodiv/article/view/4814 |title=Spatial distribution and habitat characteristics of Macadamia hildebrandii in the Sintuwu Maroso Protection Forest, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia |author1=Akhbar |author2=Nuryanti S. |author3=Naharuddin |journal=Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity |volume=20 |issue=#2 |year=2020 |doi=10.13057/biodiv/d210245 |access-date=18 February 2021 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
* '']'' {{au|(]) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonyms: base name: ''Helicia whelanii'' {{au|F.M.Bailey}}<!--, Report on New Plants, Preliminary to General Report on Botanical Results on Mestons Expedition to the Bellenden-Ker Range. p. 2. 1889. -->, ''Macadamia whelanii'' {{au|(F.M.Bailey) F.M.Bailey}}


;'']'' {{au|P.H.Weston}}, formerly ''Macadamia'' until 1995
Fruit fact: If Macadmia Nuts are heated it can affect the quality of the nut.<ref>, ECHO (echonet.com). Accessed ] ].</ref>
* '']'' {{au|(F.M.Bailey) P.H.Weston}}; synonyms: base name: ''Helicia heyana'' {{au|F.M.Bailey}} <!--Queensland Fl. 4: 1329 (1901) -->, ''Macadamia heyana'' {{au|(F.M.Bailey) ]}}


;'']'' {{au|] & ]}}, formerly ''Macadamia'' until the first species renaming began in 1975 and comprehensive in 2008
]
* '']'' {{au|(]) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonym, base name: ''Macadamia angustifolia'' {{au|Virot}}
* '']'' {{au|(]) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonym, base name: ''] francii'' {{au|Guillaumin}}
* '']'' {{au|(Guillaumin) L.A.S.Johnson & B.G.Briggs}} (1975 type species); synonym, base name: ''] leptophylla'' {{au|Guillaumin}}
* '']'' {{au|(Guillaumin) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonyms: base name: ''] neurophylla'' {{au|Guillaumin}}, ''Macadamia neurophylla'' {{au|(Guillaumin) Virot}}
* '']'' {{au|(]) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonym, base name: ''Roupala rousselii'' {{au|Vieill}}
* '']'' {{au|(] & ]) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast}}; synonym, base name: ''Roupala vieillardii'' {{au|Brongn. & Gris}}


=== Etymology ===
] is prized for containing approximately 22% of the Omega-7 ],<ref>{{Languageicon|de|German}}/{{Languageicon|en|English}} , Federal Research Centre for Nutrition and Food (Bundesforschungsanstalt für Ernährung und Lebensmittel (BfEL)).</ref> which makes it a botanical alternative to ], which contains approximately 17%. This relatively high content of "cushiony" palmitoleic acid plus macadamia's high oxidative stability make it a desirable ingredient in cosmetics, especially skincare.
The German-Australian ] ] gave the genus the name ''Macadamia'' in 1857 in honour of the Scottish-Australian ], medical teacher, and ] ], who was the honorary Secretary of the ] beginning in 1857.<ref>The proceedings of Philosophical Institute of Victoria, now the ] Rev: Mueller F (1857) Account of some new Australian plants. ''Transactions of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria'' 2: 62–77; Burke & Wills: The Scientific Legacy of the Victorian Exploring Expedition by E B Joyce & D A McCann, ''Royal Society of Victoria'' 2011</ref>


== Cultivation ==
Macadamia nuts form the ] of the ] in captivity.<ref>{{cite web | author=Kashmir Csaky | year=2001 | url=http://www.bluemacaws.org/avi18.htm | title=The Hyacinth Macaw. | format= | work= | publisher= | accessdate=15 May | accessyear=2007 }}</ref> These large ]s are one of the few animals, aside from humans, capable of cracking and shelling the nut.
]


The macadamia tree is usually propagated by ] and does not begin to produce commercial quantities of seeds until it is 7–10 years old, but once established, it may continue bearing for over 100 years. Macadamias prefer fertile, well-drained soils, a rainfall of {{convert|1000|-|2000|mm|abbr=on|sigfig=1}}, and temperatures not falling below {{convert|10|C|F|sigfig=1}} (although once established, they can withstand light frosts), with an optimum temperature of {{convert|25|C|F|sigfig=1}}. The roots are shallow, and trees can be blown down in storms; like most ], they are also susceptible to '']'' root disease. As of 2019, the macadamia nut is the most expensive nut in the world, which is attributed to the slow harvesting process.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/macadamia-nuts-most-expensive-world-australia-hawaii-2019-3 |title=What makes macadamia nuts the most expensive nuts in the world, at $25 per pound |last=Kim |first=Irene Anna |date=6 March 2019 |website=Business Insider |access-date=8 July 2020 |archive-date=26 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826071135/https://www.businessinsider.com/macadamia-nuts-most-expensive-world-australia-hawaii-2019-3 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Macadamia nuts are toxic to ]s. Ingestion may result in macadamia nut ], which is marked by ] with the inability to stand within 12 hours of ingestion. Recovery is usually within 48 hours.<ref>, Steven R. Hansen, DVM, MS, DABVT. ASPCA.org. Reprinted with permission from the April 2002 issue of ''Veterinary Medicine''. Accessed ] ].</ref>


]
The trees are also grown as ]s in subtropical regions for their glossy foliage and attractive flowers.


=== Cultivars ===
''Macadamia'' species are used as food plants by the ]e of some ] species including '']''.


==== Beaumont ====
Macadamia nuts are often used by law enforcement to simulate ] in drug stings.<ref>, Chicago Sun Times, December 24, 2004. Accessed ]].</ref> When chopped, the nuts resemble crack cocaine in color.
A '']'' / '']'' hybrid commercial variety is widely planted in Australia and New Zealand; Dr. J. H. Beaumont discovered it. It is high in oil but is not sweet. New leaves are reddish, and flowers are bright pink, borne on long racemes. It is one of the quickest varieties to come into bearing once planted in the garden, usually carrying a useful crop by the fourth year and improving from then on. It crops prodigiously when well pollinated. The impressive, grape-like clusters are sometimes so heavy they break the branchlets to which they are attached. Commercial orchards have reached {{convert|18|kg|abbr=on}} per tree by eight years old. On the downside, the macadamias do not drop from the tree when ripe, and the leaves are a bit prickly when one reaches into the tree's interior during harvest. Its shell is easier to open than that of most commercial varieties.
]


==References== ==== Maroochy ====
A pure '']'' variety from Australia, this strain is cultivated for its productive crop yield, flavour, and suitability for pollinating 'Beaumont.'
<references/>


==== Nelmac II ====
==External links==
A South African ''M. integrifolia'' / ''M. tetraphylla'' hybrid cultivar, it has a sweet seed, which means it has to be cooked carefully so that the sugars do not caramelise. The sweet seed is usually not fully processed, as it generally does not taste as good, but many people enjoy eating it uncooked. It has an open micropyle (hole in the shell), which may let in fungal spores. The crack-out percentage (ratio of nut meat to the whole nut by weight) is high. Ten-year-old trees average {{convert|22|kg|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} per tree. It is a popular variety because of its pollination of 'Beaumont,' and the yields are almost comparable.
*
*{{APNI | name = Macadamia F.Muell. | id = 46142}}
*


==== Renown ====
A ''M. integrifolia'' / ''M. tetraphylla'' hybrid, this is a rather spreading tree. On the plus side, it is high yielding commercially; {{convert|17|kg|abbr=on}} from a 9-year-old tree has been recorded, and the nuts drop to the ground. However, they are thick-shelled, with not much flavour.


==Production==
In 2024, ] was the leading producer of macadamia nuts, with 77,000 tonnes,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brederode |first=William |title=SA is world's biggest macadamia producer - why it now has to start cracking nuts to survive |url=https://www.news24.com/fin24/economy/sa-is-worlds-biggest-macadamia-producer-why-it-now-has-to-start-cracking-nuts-to-survive-20240303 |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=Business |language=en-US}}</ref> up from 54,000 tonnes out of global production of 211,000 tonnes in 2018.<ref name="agrio">{{Cite web|url=https://www.agriorbit.com/more-and-more-macadamia-produced-globally-world-nut-conference/|title=More and more macadamia produced globally|last=Motaung|first=Ntswaki|date=2018-05-30|website=Agriorbit|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-15|archive-date=15 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115235620/https://www.agriorbit.com/more-and-more-macadamia-produced-globally-world-nut-conference/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Macadamia is commercially produced in many countries of Southeast Asia, South America, Australia, and North America having ], ] or ]s.<ref name="agrio" />


===History===
]
The first commercial orchard of macadamia trees was planted in the early 1880s by Rous Mill, {{convert|12|km|abbr=on}} southeast of ], consisting of '']''.<ref>{{Cite book | author=Macadamia Power Pty | year=1982 | title=Macadamia Power in a Nutshell | publisher=Macadamia Power Pty Limited | page=13 |isbn=978-0-9592892-0-6}}</ref> Besides the development of a small boutique industry in Australia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, macadamia was extensively planted as a commercial crop in ] from the 1920s onward. Macadamia seeds were first imported into Hawaii in 1882 by ], who planted seeds that year at ].<ref>{{Cite web | last=Schmitt | first=Robert | url=http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/moments/macadami.html | title=Macadamia Nuts | publisher=Hawaiian Historical Society | access-date=7 April 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216230519/http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/moments/macadami.html | archive-date=16 February 2012 }}</ref> The Hawaiian-produced macadamia established the well-known seed internationally, and in 2017, Hawaii produced over 22,000 tonnes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/CEB3B9C1-2EDD-36CB-AF22-702C81A481C0|title=USDA/NASS QuickStats Ad-hoc Query Tool|website=quickstats.nass.usda.gov|access-date=2019-01-15|archive-date=16 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116045804/https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/CEB3B9C1-2EDD-36CB-AF22-702C81A481C0|url-status=dead}}</ref>
]

In 2019, researchers collected samples from hundreds of trees in ] and compared their genetic profiles to samples from Hawaiian orchards. They determined that essentially all the Hawaiian trees must have descended from a small population of Australian trees from ], possibly just a single tree.<ref>{{Cite web | last=Imbler | first=Sabrina | url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/macadamias-came-from-one-tree | title=70 Percent of the World's Macadamia Nuts Came From One Tree in Australia | date=3 June 2019 | publisher=Atlas Obscura | access-date=2019-06-05 | archive-date=7 June 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607085126/https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/macadamias-came-from-one-tree | url-status=live }}</ref> This lack of genetic diversity in the commercial crop puts it at risk of succumbing to pathogens (as has happened in the past to ] cultivars). Growers may seek to diversify the cultivated population by hybridizing with wild specimens.

===Shelling===
]

Macadamias are the world's hardest edible nut to crack.<ref name="am">https://www.australian-macadamias.org/grow/how-to-crack-a-macadamia-nut/</ref> Since ordinary ]s apply insufficient force,<ref name="shellingmachine">https://www.shellingmachine.com/application/south-africa-macadamia-nuts-processing-industry.html</ref> various types of specialist macadamia nut crackers are available, many of which apply force to the ] (white dot) to fracture the shell.<ref name="am"/>

For commercial scale deshelling, rotating steel rollers are used.<ref name="shellingmachine"/> In South Africa, the average crack-out rate, meaning ratio of usable nut to discarded shell, is 27.6% nut to 72.4% waste.<ref name="shellingmachine"/>

== Toxicity ==
Nuts from ''M. jansenii'' and ''M. ternifolia'' contain cyanogenic glycosides.<ref name="Sharma" /><ref name="Dahler" />

===Allergen===
Macadamia allergy is a type of ] to macadamia nuts which is relatively rare, affecting less than 5% of people with ] in the United States.<ref name="Cox">{{cite journal |last1=Cox |first1=A.L. |last2=Eigenmann |first2=P.A. |last3=Sicherer |first3=S.H. |date=2021 |title=Clinical Relevance of Cross-Reactivity in Food Allergy |url=https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(20)31008-4/fulltext |journal=The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=82–99 |doi=10.1016/j.jaip.2020.09.030 |pmid=33429724 |s2cid=231587027 |access-date=6 May 2023}}</ref> Macadamia allergy can cause mild to severe allergic reactions, such as ], ], ], vomiting, abdominal pain, ], and ].<ref name="Yoshida">{{cite journal |last1=Yoshida |first1=K |last2=Shirane |first2=S |last3=Kinoshita |first3=K |date=2021 |title=Macadamia nut allergy in children: Clinical features and cross-reactivity with walnut and hazelnut. |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pai.13469 |journal=Pediatric Allergy and Immunology |volume=32 |issue=5 |pages=111–1114 |doi=10.1111/pai.13469 |pmid=33559377 |s2cid=231863665 |access-date=6 May 2023}}</ref> Macadamia allergy can also cross-react with other tree nuts or foods that have similar allergenic proteins, such as ], ], ], and ].<ref name="f345">{{cite web |title=f345 Macadamia nut |url=https://www.thermofisher.com/diagnostic-education/hcp/gb/en/resource-center/allergen-encyclopedia/whole-allergens.html?key=f345 |access-date=6 May 2023 |website=Allergy & Autoimmune Disease}}</ref> The diagnosis and management of macadamia allergy involves avoiding macadamia nuts and their derivatives, reading food labels carefully, carrying an ] in case of severe reactions, and consulting a doctor for further testing and advice.

===Toxicity in dogs and cats===
Macadamias are ] to dogs. ] may result in macadamia toxicity marked by ] and hind limb paralysis with the inability to stand, occurring within 12 hours of ingestion.<ref name="ca">{{cite journal |author=Christine Allen |date=October 2001 |title=Treacherous Treats – Macadamia Nuts |url=http://aspcapro.org/sites/pro/files/zj-vettech_1001_0.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Veterinary Technician |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116100009/http://aspcapro.org/sites/pro/files/zj-vettech_1001_0.pdf |archive-date=16 January 2014 |access-date=15 January 2014}}</ref> It is not known what makes macadamia nuts toxic in dogs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Macadamia Nut Toxicity |url=https://www.thesprucepets.com/macadamia-nuts-and-dogs-dont-mix-3385507 |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=The Spruce Pets}}</ref> Depending on the quantity ingested and the size of the dog, symptoms may also include muscle tremors, joint pain, and severe abdominal pain. In high doses of toxin, opiate medication may be required for symptom relief until the toxic effects diminish, with full recovery usually within 24 to 48 hours.<ref name="ca" />

Macadamias are also toxic to cats, causing tremor, paralysis, stiffness in joints and high fever.<ref>David Brunner, Sam Stall: ''Die Katze.'' Sanssouci, München/Wien 2005, {{ISBN|3-7254-1357-6}}, S.&nbsp;181.</ref>

{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Macadamia nuts, raw
| kJ=3080
| water=1.4 g
| fat=75.8 g
| satfat=12 g
| monofat=59 g
| polyfat=1.5 g
| protein=7.9 g
| carbs=13.8 g
| fiber=8.6 g
| sugars=4.57 g
| iron_mg=3.69
| calcium_mg=85
| magnesium_mg=130
| phosphorus_mg=188
| potassium_mg=368
| manganese_mg=4.1
| zinc_mg=1.30
| vitC_mg=1.2
| vitE_mg=0.54
| thiamin_mg=1.195
| riboflavin_mg=0.162
| niacin_mg=2.473
| pantothenic_mg=0.76
| vitB6_mg=0.275
| folate_ug=11
| note=
}}

== Uses ==

=== Nutrition ===
Raw macadamia nuts are 1% water, 14% ]s, 76% ], and 8% ]. A 100-gram reference amount of macadamia nuts provides 740 ] and are a rich source (20% or more of the ] (DV)) of numerous ], including ] (104% DV), ] (21% DV), other ], ] (195% DV), ] (28% DV), ] (37% DV) and ] (27% DV).

Compared with other common edible nuts, such as ]s and ]s, macadamias are high in total fat and relatively low in protein. They have a high amount of ]s (59% of total content) and contain, as 17% of total fat, the ], ] ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3123/2|title=Macadamia nuts, raw, per 100 g| publisher=Conde Nast for the USDA National Nutrient Database, release SR 21|date=2014|access-date=14 January 2016|archive-date=14 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114223010/http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3123/2|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Other uses ===
The trees are also grown as ]s in subtropical regions for their glossy foliage and attractive flowers. The flowers produce a well-regarded honey. The wood is used decoratively for small items.<ref>{{cite web |title=Macadamia Nut {{!}} The Wood Database – Lumber Identification (Hardwood) |url=https://www.wood-database.com/macadamia-nut/ |access-date=19 August 2019 |archive-date=14 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514124439/https://www.wood-database.com/macadamia-nut/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Macadamia'' species are used as food plants by the ]e of some ] species, including '']''.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Macadamia seeds are often fed to ]s in captivity. These large ]s are one of the few animals, aside from humans, capable of cracking the shell and removing the seed.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Kashmir Csaky | date=November 2001 | url=http://www.bluemacaws.org/avi18.htm | title=The Hyacinth Macaw | journal=Parrots Magazine | access-date=6 December 2010 | archive-date=12 June 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612040410/http://www.bluemacaws.org/avi18.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Modern history ==
;1828
:] was the first European to encounter the macadamia plant in Australia.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Bee |date=5 October 2010 |title=The Kitchen Thinker: Macadamias |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/8028252/The-Kitchen-Thinker-Macadamias.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217030221/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/8028252/The-Kitchen-Thinker-Macadamias.html |archive-date=17 February 2019 |access-date=11 July 2017 |agency=The Telegraph}}</ref>
;1857–1858
:German-Australian botanist ] gave the genus the scientific name ''Macadamia''. He named it after his friend ], a noted scientist and secretary of the Philosophical Institute of Australia.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Shigeura |first1=Gordon T. |url=https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RES-039.pdf |title=Macadamia nuts in Hawaii: history and production |last2=Ooka |first2=Hiroshi |publisher=University of Hawaii |year=1984 |location=Honolulu, HI |pages=8 |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224160755/http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RES-039.pdf |archive-date=24 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
;1858
:'Bauple nuts' were discovered in ]; they are now known as macadamia nuts.
:], superintendent of the ] (Australia), observed a boy eating the kernel without ill effect, becoming the first nonindigenous person recorded to eat macadamia nuts.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McKinnon |first=Ross |url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hill-walter-12981 |title=Australian Dictionary of Biography |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |location=Canberra |chapter=Hill, Walter (1819–1904) |access-date=12 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213022455/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hill-walter-12981 |archive-date=13 February 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
;1860s
:King Jacky, aboriginal elder of the Logan River clan, south of Brisbane, Queensland, was the first known macadamia entrepreneur in his tribe and he regularly collected and traded the macadamias with settlers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=McConachie |first1=Ian |year=1980 |title=The Macadamia Story |url=http://www.australian-macadamias.org/download.php?file=macstory.pdf |url-status=live |journal=California Macadamia Society Yearbook |volume=26 |pages=41–47 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111081436/http://www.australian-macadamias.org/download.php?file=macstory.pdf |archive-date=11 January 2014 |access-date=11 January 2014}}</ref>
;1866
: ] planted macadamias at Yebri Creek (near Petrie) from nuts obtained from Aboriginals at ].<ref>"Nut Growing Experiments", ''The Queenslander'', 8 October 1931, p. 13</ref>
;1882
:] introduced macadamia nuts to Hawaii as a ] for sugar cane.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hamilton |first1=Richard |url=https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/C1-485.pdf |title=Macadamia: Hawaii's Dessert Nut |last2=Ito |first2=Philip |last3=Chia |first3=C.L. |publisher=University of Hawaii |page=3 |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224124607/http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/C1-485.pdf |archive-date=24 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
;1888
:The first commercial orchard of macadamias was planted at Rous Mill, 12&nbsp;km from ], by Charles Staff.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rosengarten |first1=Frederic Jr. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7CK8LFCcvtcC&q=charles+staff+macadamia&pg=PA122 |title=The Book of Edible Nuts |date=2004 |publisher=Courier Corporation |isbn=978-0-486-43499-5 |page=122 |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901205233/https://books.google.com/books?id=7CK8LFCcvtcC&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122&dq=charles+staff+macadamia&hl=en |archive-date=1 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
;1889
:], an Australian botanist, wrote, "It is well worth extensive cultivation, for the nuts are always eagerly bought."<ref>Maiden, J. H., ''The Useful Native Plants of Australia'', 1889, p40</ref>
;1910
:The Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station encouraged the planting of macadamias on Hawaii's ] as a crop to supplement coffee production in the region.<ref name="rieger">Rieger, M., ''Introduction to Fruit Crops'', 2006, p. 260. {{ISBN|978-1-56022-259-0}}</ref>
;1916
:] begins trial macadamia plantations in ], combining macadamias with pecans to shelter the trees.<ref>{{cite news |date=8 October 1931 |title=Nut Growing Experiments |page=13 |agency=The Queenslander}}</ref>
;1922
:Ernest van Tassel formed the Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Co. in Hawaii.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shigeura |first1=Gordon |url=https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RES-039.pdf |title=Macadamia Nuts in Hawaii: History and Production |last2=Ooka |first2=Hiroshi |date=April 1984 |publisher=University of Hawaii |page=13 |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224160755/http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RES-039.pdf |archive-date=24 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
;1925
:Tassel leased {{convert|75|acre|ha}} on Round Top in Honolulu and began Nutridge, Hawaii's first macadamia seed farm.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gordon T. Shigeura and Hiroshi Ooka |title=Macadamia Nuts in Hawaii: History and Production}}</ref>
;1931
:Tassel established a macadamia-processing factory on Puhukaina Street in ], selling the nuts as Van's Macadamia Nuts.
;1937
:Winston Jones and J. H. Beaumont of the ] Agricultural Experiment Station reported the first successful grafting of macadamias, paving the way for mass production.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Winston |last2=Beaumont |first2=J.H. |date=1 October 1937 |title=Carbohydrate accumulation in relation to vegetative propagation of the litchi |journal=Science |volume=86 |issue=#2231 |page=313 |bibcode=1937Sci....86..313J |doi=10.1126/science.86.2231.313 |pmid=17794458}}</ref>
;1946
:A large plantation was established in Hawaii.<ref>{{cite book |author=Sandra Wagner-Wright |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AeazAAAAIAAJ |title=History of the macadamia nut industry in Hawai'i, 1881–1981 |publisher=] |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-7734-9097-0 |location=] |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901205243/https://books.google.com/books?id=AeazAAAAIAAJ&hl=en |archive-date=1 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Packaging</ref>
;1953
:] added a new brand of macadamia nuts called "Royal Hawaiian," which was credited with popularizing the nuts in the U.S.
;1991
:A fourth macadamia species, '']'', was ], being first brought to the attention of plant scientists in 1983 by Ray Jansen, a sugarcane farmer and amateur botanist from ] in Central ].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gross |first1=C. L. |last2=Weston |first2=P. H. |date=1992 |title=Macadamia jansenii (Proteaceae), a new species from central Queensland |url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/sb/sb9920725 |journal=Australian Systematic Botany |language=en |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=725–728 |doi=10.1071/sb9920725 |issn=1446-5701}}</ref>
;1997
:Australia surpassed the United States as the major producer of macadamias.<ref name="rieger" />
;2012–2015
:South Africa surpassed Australia as the largest producer of macadamias.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cracking good run for macadamia industry |url=http://www.farmersweekly.co.za/article.aspx?id=73097&h=Cracking-good-run-for-macadamia-industry/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924010547/http://www.farmersweekly.co.za/article.aspx?id=73097&h=Cracking-good-run-for-macadamia-industry%2F |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=8 June 2015 |work=Farmer's Weekly}}</ref><ref name="fp" />
;2014
:The manner in which macadamia nuts were served on ] Flight 86 from ] in ] led to a "]", which gave the nuts high visibility in ] and marked a sharp increase in consumption there.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Adam |title=Why 'nut rage' is such a big deal in South Korea |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/12/12/why-nut-gate-is-such-a-big-deal-in-south-korea/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809132058/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/12/12/why-nut-gate-is-such-a-big-deal-in-south-korea/ |archive-date=9 August 2017 |access-date=10 July 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ahn |first1=Young-oon |date=15 December 2014 |title=Sales of macadamias soar in Korea after nut rage |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/12/15/sales-of-macadamias-soar-in-korea-after-nut-rage.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809173358/https://www.cnbc.com/2014/12/15/sales-of-macadamias-soar-in-korea-after-nut-rage.html |archive-date=9 August 2017 |access-date=10 July 2017 |website=CNBC}}</ref>

== See also ==
* ]
==External links==
* {{commonscat-inline}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Proteaceae genera}}
{{Nuts}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q310041}}
{{Authority control}}

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Latest revision as of 10:27, 28 December 2024

Genus of plants indigenous to Australia

Macadamia
Macadamia nuts
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Subfamily: Grevilleoideae
Tribe: Macadamieae
Subtribe: Macadamiinae
Genus: Macadamia
F.Muell.
Type species
Macadamia integrifolia
Maiden & Betche
Species

Macadamia is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia, native to northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland specifically. Two species of the genus are commercially important for their fruit, the macadamia nut /ˌmækəˈdeɪmiə/ (or simply macadamia). Global production in 2015 was 160,000 tonnes (180,000 short tons). Other names include Queensland nut, bush nut, maroochi nut, bauple nut and, in the US, they are also known as Hawaii nut. It was an important source of bushfood for the Aboriginal peoples.

Fresh macadamia nut with husk or pericarp cut in half
Stages of a Macadamia integrifolia nut: unripe, ripe, husk peeled, deshelled
Roasted macadamia nuts with sawn nutshell, one cracked open

The nut was first commercially produced on a wide scale in Hawaii, where Australian seeds were introduced in the 1880s, and for more than a century they were the world's largest producer. South Africa has been the world's largest producer of the macadamia since the 2010s.

The macadamia is the only widely grown food plant that is native to Australia.

Description

Macadamia is an evergreen genus that grows 2–12 m (7–40 ft) tall.

The leaves are arranged in whorls of three to six, lanceolate to obovate or elliptic in shape, 60–300 mm (2+1⁄2–12 in) long and 30–130 mm (1+1⁄8–5+1⁄8 in) broad, with an entire or spiny-serrated margin. The flowers are produced in a long, slender, and simple raceme 50–300 mm (2–12 in) long, the individual flowers 10–15 mm (3⁄8–9⁄16 in) long, white to pink or purple, with four tepals. The fruit is a hard, woody, globose follicle with a pointed apex containing one or two seeds. The nutshell ("coat") is particularly tough and requires around 2000 N to crack. The shell material is five times harder than hazelnut shells and has mechanical properties similar to aluminum. It has a Vickers hardness of 35.

Taxonomy

Species

Image Scientific Name Distribution
Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche south east Queensland and northern New South Wales
Macadamia jansenii C.L.Gross & P.H.Weston Queensland
Macadamia ternifolia F.Muell. Queensland
Macadamia tetraphylla L.A.S.Johnson Queensland

Nuts from M. jansenii and M. ternifolia contain cyanogenic glycosides. The other two species are cultivated for the commercial production of macadamia nuts for human consumption.

Previously, more species with disjunct distributions were named as members of this genus Macadamia. Genetics and morphological studies published in 2008 show they have separated from the genus Macadamia, correlating less closely than thought from earlier morphological studies. The species previously named in the genus Macadamia may still be referred to overall by the descriptive, non-scientific name of macadamia.

Formerly included in the genus
Lasjia P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast, formerly Macadamia until 2008
  • Lasjia claudiensis (C.L.Gross & B.Hyland) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast; synonym, base name: Macadamia claudiensis C.L.Gross & B.Hyland
  • Lasjia erecta (J.A.McDonald & R.Ismail) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast; synonym, base name: Macadamia erecta J.A.McDonald & R.Ismail
    A tree endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. First described by science in 1995.
  • Lasjia grandis (C.L.Gross & B.Hyland) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast; synonym, base name: Macadamia grandis C.L.Gross & B.Hyland
  • Lasjia hildebrandii (Steenis) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast; synonym, base name: Macadamia hildebrandii Steenis
    Another species endemic to Sulawesi.
  • Lasjia whelanii (F.M.Bailey) P.H.Weston & A.R.Mast; synonyms: base name: Helicia whelanii F.M.Bailey, Macadamia whelanii (F.M.Bailey) F.M.Bailey
Catalepidia P.H.Weston, formerly Macadamia until 1995
  • Catalepidia heyana (F.M.Bailey) P.H.Weston; synonyms: base name: Helicia heyana F.M.Bailey , Macadamia heyana (F.M.Bailey) Sleumer
Virotia L.A.S.Johnson & B.G.Briggs, formerly Macadamia until the first species renaming began in 1975 and comprehensive in 2008

Etymology

The German-Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller gave the genus the name Macadamia in 1857 in honour of the Scottish-Australian chemist, medical teacher, and politician John Macadam, who was the honorary Secretary of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria beginning in 1857.

Cultivation

Macadamia integrifolia flowers

The macadamia tree is usually propagated by grafting and does not begin to produce commercial quantities of seeds until it is 7–10 years old, but once established, it may continue bearing for over 100 years. Macadamias prefer fertile, well-drained soils, a rainfall of 1,000–2,000 mm (40–80 in), and temperatures not falling below 10 °C (50 °F) (although once established, they can withstand light frosts), with an optimum temperature of 25 °C (80 °F). The roots are shallow, and trees can be blown down in storms; like most Proteaceae, they are also susceptible to Phytophthora root disease. As of 2019, the macadamia nut is the most expensive nut in the world, which is attributed to the slow harvesting process.

Macadamia 'Beaumont' in new growth

Cultivars

Beaumont

A Macadamia integrifolia / M. tetraphylla hybrid commercial variety is widely planted in Australia and New Zealand; Dr. J. H. Beaumont discovered it. It is high in oil but is not sweet. New leaves are reddish, and flowers are bright pink, borne on long racemes. It is one of the quickest varieties to come into bearing once planted in the garden, usually carrying a useful crop by the fourth year and improving from then on. It crops prodigiously when well pollinated. The impressive, grape-like clusters are sometimes so heavy they break the branchlets to which they are attached. Commercial orchards have reached 18 kg (40 lb) per tree by eight years old. On the downside, the macadamias do not drop from the tree when ripe, and the leaves are a bit prickly when one reaches into the tree's interior during harvest. Its shell is easier to open than that of most commercial varieties.

Macadamia 'Maroochy' new growth

Maroochy

A pure M. tetraphylla variety from Australia, this strain is cultivated for its productive crop yield, flavour, and suitability for pollinating 'Beaumont.'

Nelmac II

A South African M. integrifolia / M. tetraphylla hybrid cultivar, it has a sweet seed, which means it has to be cooked carefully so that the sugars do not caramelise. The sweet seed is usually not fully processed, as it generally does not taste as good, but many people enjoy eating it uncooked. It has an open micropyle (hole in the shell), which may let in fungal spores. The crack-out percentage (ratio of nut meat to the whole nut by weight) is high. Ten-year-old trees average 22 kg (50 lb) per tree. It is a popular variety because of its pollination of 'Beaumont,' and the yields are almost comparable.

Renown

A M. integrifolia / M. tetraphylla hybrid, this is a rather spreading tree. On the plus side, it is high yielding commercially; 17 kg (37 lb) from a 9-year-old tree has been recorded, and the nuts drop to the ground. However, they are thick-shelled, with not much flavour.

Production

In 2024, South Africa was the leading producer of macadamia nuts, with 77,000 tonnes, up from 54,000 tonnes out of global production of 211,000 tonnes in 2018. Macadamia is commercially produced in many countries of Southeast Asia, South America, Australia, and North America having Mediterranean, temperate or tropical climates.

History

The first commercial orchard of macadamia trees was planted in the early 1880s by Rous Mill, 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of Lismore, New South Wales, consisting of M. tetraphylla. Besides the development of a small boutique industry in Australia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, macadamia was extensively planted as a commercial crop in Hawaii from the 1920s onward. Macadamia seeds were first imported into Hawaii in 1882 by William H. Purvis, who planted seeds that year at Kapulena. The Hawaiian-produced macadamia established the well-known seed internationally, and in 2017, Hawaii produced over 22,000 tonnes.

In 2019, researchers collected samples from hundreds of trees in Queensland and compared their genetic profiles to samples from Hawaiian orchards. They determined that essentially all the Hawaiian trees must have descended from a small population of Australian trees from Gympie, possibly just a single tree. This lack of genetic diversity in the commercial crop puts it at risk of succumbing to pathogens (as has happened in the past to banana cultivars). Growers may seek to diversify the cultivated population by hybridizing with wild specimens.

Shelling

Screw-type macadamia nut cracker on a plate of unshelled macadamias

Macadamias are the world's hardest edible nut to crack. Since ordinary nutcrackers apply insufficient force, various types of specialist macadamia nut crackers are available, many of which apply force to the micropyle (white dot) to fracture the shell.

For commercial scale deshelling, rotating steel rollers are used. In South Africa, the average crack-out rate, meaning ratio of usable nut to discarded shell, is 27.6% nut to 72.4% waste.

Toxicity

Nuts from M. jansenii and M. ternifolia contain cyanogenic glycosides.

Allergen

Macadamia allergy is a type of food allergy to macadamia nuts which is relatively rare, affecting less than 5% of people with tree nut allergy in the United States. Macadamia allergy can cause mild to severe allergic reactions, such as oral allergy syndrome, urticaria, angioedema, vomiting, abdominal pain, asthma, and anaphylaxis. Macadamia allergy can also cross-react with other tree nuts or foods that have similar allergenic proteins, such as coconut, walnut, hazelnut, and cashew. The diagnosis and management of macadamia allergy involves avoiding macadamia nuts and their derivatives, reading food labels carefully, carrying an epinephrine auto-injector in case of severe reactions, and consulting a doctor for further testing and advice.

Toxicity in dogs and cats

Macadamias are toxic to dogs. Ingestion may result in macadamia toxicity marked by weakness and hind limb paralysis with the inability to stand, occurring within 12 hours of ingestion. It is not known what makes macadamia nuts toxic in dogs. Depending on the quantity ingested and the size of the dog, symptoms may also include muscle tremors, joint pain, and severe abdominal pain. In high doses of toxin, opiate medication may be required for symptom relief until the toxic effects diminish, with full recovery usually within 24 to 48 hours.

Macadamias are also toxic to cats, causing tremor, paralysis, stiffness in joints and high fever.

Macadamia nuts, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy3,080 kJ (740 kcal)
Carbohydrates13.8 g
Sugars4.57 g
Dietary fiber8.6 g
Fat75.8 g
Saturated12 g
Monounsaturated59 g
Polyunsaturated1.5 g
Protein7.9 g
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity %DV
Thiamine (B1)100% 1.195 mg
Riboflavin (B2)12% 0.162 mg
Niacin (B3)15% 2.473 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)15% 0.76 mg
Vitamin B616% 0.275 mg
Folate (B9)3% 11 μg
Vitamin C1% 1.2 mg
Vitamin E4% 0.54 mg
MineralsQuantity %DV
Calcium7% 85 mg
Iron21% 3.69 mg
Magnesium31% 130 mg
Manganese178% 4.1 mg
Phosphorus15% 188 mg
Potassium12% 368 mg
Zinc12% 1.30 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water1.4 g

Link to USDA Database entry
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

Uses

Nutrition

Raw macadamia nuts are 1% water, 14% carbohydrates, 76% fat, and 8% protein. A 100-gram reference amount of macadamia nuts provides 740 kilocalories and are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value (DV)) of numerous essential nutrients, including thiamine (104% DV), vitamin B6 (21% DV), other B vitamins, manganese (195% DV), iron (28% DV), magnesium (37% DV) and phosphorus (27% DV).

Compared with other common edible nuts, such as almonds and cashews, macadamias are high in total fat and relatively low in protein. They have a high amount of monounsaturated fats (59% of total content) and contain, as 17% of total fat, the monounsaturated fat, omega-7 palmitoleic acid.

Other uses

The trees are also grown as ornamental plants in subtropical regions for their glossy foliage and attractive flowers. The flowers produce a well-regarded honey. The wood is used decoratively for small items. Macadamia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Batrachedra arenosella.

Macadamia seeds are often fed to hyacinth macaws in captivity. These large parrots are one of the few animals, aside from humans, capable of cracking the shell and removing the seed.

Modern history

1828
Allan Cunningham was the first European to encounter the macadamia plant in Australia.
1857–1858
German-Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller gave the genus the scientific name Macadamia. He named it after his friend John Macadam, a noted scientist and secretary of the Philosophical Institute of Australia.
1858
'Bauple nuts' were discovered in Bauple, Queensland; they are now known as macadamia nuts.
Walter Hill, superintendent of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens (Australia), observed a boy eating the kernel without ill effect, becoming the first nonindigenous person recorded to eat macadamia nuts.
1860s
King Jacky, aboriginal elder of the Logan River clan, south of Brisbane, Queensland, was the first known macadamia entrepreneur in his tribe and he regularly collected and traded the macadamias with settlers.
1866
Tom Petrie planted macadamias at Yebri Creek (near Petrie) from nuts obtained from Aboriginals at Buderim.
1882
William H. Purvis introduced macadamia nuts to Hawaii as a windbreak for sugar cane.
1888
The first commercial orchard of macadamias was planted at Rous Mill, 12 km from Lismore, New South Wales, by Charles Staff.
1889
Joseph Maiden, an Australian botanist, wrote, "It is well worth extensive cultivation, for the nuts are always eagerly bought."
1910
The Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station encouraged the planting of macadamias on Hawaii's Kona District as a crop to supplement coffee production in the region.
1916
Tom Petrie begins trial macadamia plantations in Maryborough, Queensland, combining macadamias with pecans to shelter the trees.
1922
Ernest van Tassel formed the Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Co. in Hawaii.
1925
Tassel leased 75 acres (30 ha) on Round Top in Honolulu and began Nutridge, Hawaii's first macadamia seed farm.
1931
Tassel established a macadamia-processing factory on Puhukaina Street in Kakaako, Hawaii, selling the nuts as Van's Macadamia Nuts.
1937
Winston Jones and J. H. Beaumont of the University of Hawaii's Agricultural Experiment Station reported the first successful grafting of macadamias, paving the way for mass production.
1946
A large plantation was established in Hawaii.
1953
Castle & Cooke added a new brand of macadamia nuts called "Royal Hawaiian," which was credited with popularizing the nuts in the U.S.
1991
A fourth macadamia species, Macadamia jansenii, was described, being first brought to the attention of plant scientists in 1983 by Ray Jansen, a sugarcane farmer and amateur botanist from South Kolan in Central Queensland.
1997
Australia surpassed the United States as the major producer of macadamias.
2012–2015
South Africa surpassed Australia as the largest producer of macadamias.
2014
The manner in which macadamia nuts were served on Korean Air Flight 86 from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City led to a "nut rage incident", which gave the nuts high visibility in South Korea and marked a sharp increase in consumption there.

See also

External links

  • Media related to Macadamia at Wikimedia Commons

References

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Genera of Proteaceae
Nuts
True, or botanical nuts
Drupes
Gymnosperms
Angiosperms
Taxon identifiers
Macadamia
Categories: