Taxon:  Myristica fragrans Houtt.



Summary
Genus:
Myristica
Family:
Myristicaceae
Nomen number:
24855
Place of publication:
Nat. hist. 2(3):333.  1774
Verified:
11/18/2010 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
14 (1  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Myristica officinalis L. f.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
  4. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  5. Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
  6. Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1567.
  7. Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications.
  8. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  9. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  10. Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
  11. Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
  12. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
  13. Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2
  14. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  15. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  16. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  17. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  18. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  19. Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
  20. Westphal, E. & P. C. M. Jansen, eds. 1989. A selection. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) A:192.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishmace  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishnutmeg  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Dutchnootmuskaatboom  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Frenchmuscadier commun  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchnoix muscade  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Germanduftende Muskatnuß  2Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
GermanMuskatnußbaum  2Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
Indiajaiphal  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Indonesianpala  2Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Indonesianpala Banda  2Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Italiannoce moscata  2Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
Malaybuah pala  2Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Malaypala  2Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Portuguesemoscadeira  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguese (Brazil)noz-moscada  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Spanishnogal moscado  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishnuez moscada  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Sri Lanka (Sinhala)sadhika  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Swedishmuskot  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
2Cultivated    lesser cult. elsewhereSteenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaKerala Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia  Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
2CultivatedAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
2CultivatedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanGrenada  Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
5UncertainAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesiaMaluku Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Cultivated

  • REGION:
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India [Kerala], Sri Lanka
  • MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: Grenada
Uncertain
Asia-Tropical
  • MALESIA: Indonesia [Maluku]

Reference(s)
  1. Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
  2. Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalhemiparasite hostas substrate to grow mushroomsGuzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Food additivesflavoringas source of both nutmeg from dried seeds and mace from dried arilsGuzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Human foodfruit Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications.
Materialsessential oils Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2
Materialsgum/resin Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Materialslipids Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicinesfolklore Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2
Socialhallucinogenbut over-consumption can be deadlyGuzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Guzman, C. C. de & J. S. Siemonsma, eds. 1999. Spices. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 13:143-148.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=24855. Accessed 17 April 2026.