| Revision as of 18:43, 3 September 2003 editMarshman (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users9,354 edits Fix links; copy edit text← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:29, 4 September 2003 edit undoMarshman (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users9,354 edits Link to Botany; remove questional statement about nuts in a forestNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| A '''nut''' is a one-seeded (rarely two) ''simple dry ]'' in which the ovary wall or part of it becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity. Most nuts come from '''''pistils''''' with ''inferior'' ovaries (see ]) and all are '''''indehiscent''''' (do not open at maturity). Examples of ''true nuts'' are the fruits produced by ], ] (''acorn''), ] (''filbert''), ], ], ], ], and butternut ]s. | A '''nut''' in <tt>]</tt> is a one-seeded (rarely two) ''simple dry ]'' in which the ovary wall or part of it becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity. Most nuts come from '''''pistils''''' with ''inferior'' ovaries (see ]) and all are '''''indehiscent''''' (do not open at maturity). Examples of ''true nuts'' are the fruits produced by ], ] (''acorn''), ] (''filbert''), ], ], ], ], and butternut ]s. | ||
| Because large nuts are resource-intensive to produce, they are borne exclusively by ]s, usually in ]s. The large supply of energy in a nut allows a seedling tree to grow for a long time before reaching light, an adaptation to shady ]s. | |||
| == Nuts as food == | == Nuts as food == | ||
Revision as of 22:29, 4 September 2003
A nut in BOTANY is a one-seeded (rarely two) simple dry fruit in which the ovary wall or part of it becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity. Most nuts come from pistils with inferior ovaries (see flower) and all are indehiscent (do not open at maturity). Examples of true nuts are the fruits produced by walnut, oak (acorn), hazelnut (filbert), beech, chestnut, hickory, pecan, and butternut trees.
Nuts as food
"Nuts" as food are a much less restrictive category than nuts in Botany, the term being misapplied to many seeds that are not true nuts. Any large, oily kernel found within a shell may be regarded as a nut in a culinary sense.
Nuts generally have a high oil content which makes them a prised food and energy source. A large number of nuts are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a snack food, or pressed for oil that is used in cookery and cosmetics. Other nuts are a significant source of nutrition for wildlife. This is particularly true in temperate climates where animals such as the squirrel store acorns and other nuts during the autumn to keep them going during the winter and early spring.
Nuts of temperate climates are dominated by wind-pollinated trees of the Order Fagales:
- acorn, the seed of the oak tree
- beech
- chestnut
- hazelnut or filbert, the seed of the hazel and cob trees
- hickory
- pecan
- walnut, which includes English or Persian walnut, black walnut, heartnut, and butternut
Some "nuts" that are not true nuts in a botanical sense:
- almond; edible part is the seed of a drupe
- Brazil nuts are seeds from a capsule
- cashews are seeds
- coconut is a drupe
- horse chestnut is a capsule
- peanut, actually a bean; the fruit and seeds of a legume
- pine nut or piñon is the seed of a conifer
The "nut" of the horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is also known as a conker. Conkers are inedible but are collected and used in an old children's game, also known as conkers, in which a nut is threaded onto a strong cord and then each child attempts to break their opponent's conker by hitting it with their own. Related species, Aesculus californica, was formerly eaten by the Native Americans of California in times of famine. It must be leached to remove poisonous constituents before eating.Most types of acorns are too bitter to eat unless leached, on account of tannins. Despite this disadvantage, acorns are an important food in many regions.