Taxon:  Lecythis pisonis Cambess.



Summary
Genus:
Lecythis
Family:
Lecythidaceae
Subfamily:
Lecythidoideae
Nomen number:
21714
Place of publication:
A. F. C. P. de Saint-Hilaire, Fl. Bras. merid. 2:377.  1833
Verified:
12/07/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
5 (0  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)
Lecythis amazonum Mart. ex O. Berg
Lecythis paraensis Huber ex Ducke
Lecythis urnigera Mart. ex O. Berg
Lecythis usitata Miers

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  2. Boutelje, J. B. 1980. Encyclopedia of world timbers, names and technical literature
  3. Duke, J. A. 1989. Handbook of Nuts CRC Press.
  4. Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
  5. IPGRI. New World Fruits Database (on-line resource).
  6. Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
  7. Mori, S. A. et al. Lecythidaceae pages (on-line resource).
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishmonkeypot  1Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
Englishparadise-nut  1Mori, S. A. et al. Lecythidaceae pages (on-line resource).
Portuguese (Brazil)castanha-de-sapucaia  2Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
Portuguese (Brazil)castanheira-de-sapucaia  2Mori, S. A. et al. Lecythidaceae pages (on-line resource).
Portuguese (Brazil)sapucaia  2Duke, J. A. 1989. Handbook of Nuts CRC Press.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilAmazonas Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilBahia Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilEspírito Santo Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilMaranhão Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilMinas Gerais Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilPará Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilPernambuco Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilRio de Janeiro Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilRondônia Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeruLoreto Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
Native
Southern America
  • BRAZIL: Brazil [Amazonas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Pará, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia]
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Peru [Loreto]
Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)
  1. Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Mori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
Human foodnutpotentialMori, S. A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II. The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21(2):295.
MaterialswoodtimberBoutelje, J. B. 1980. Encyclopedia of world timbers, names and technical literature
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=21714. Accessed 12 May 2026.