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Brazil nut
Hard indehiscent fruits of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa). The fruit on the left has been opened to reveal the large edible seeds in their shells. The tree is found in the Amazonian forests of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador.
No Rainforest, No Brazil Nuts
When two or more species in an ecosystem interact to each other’s benefit, the relationship is said to be mutualistic. The production of Brazil nuts and the regeneration of the trees that produce them provide an example of mutualism, and in this case the interaction also illustrates the importance of plant and animal ecology in maintaining a rainforest ecosystem. Euglossine bees (most often the females) are the only creatures regularly able to gain entrance to the Brazil nut tree’s flowers, which have lids on them. The bees enter to feed on nectar, and in the process they pollinate the flower. ...(100 of 279 words)