The Ambonese Herbal, Vol. 2 (Herbarium Amboinense)

Book II. Chapter V. AMBOINA HERBAL.

Its outer skin is smooth, at first a bright green, and when the fruit matures, it turns yellowish like a ripe peach original: Persicus; then the middle groove opens itself and reveals the kernel, with the elegant crimson color of the mace appearing in between. If the fruit hangs from the tree for two or three days, the kernel falls out, and if it lies upon the ground, it easily attracts worms and rots due to the excessive oiliness of the nut, which usually happens during rainy weather. Indeed, even while still on the tree, the outer skin generates short, thick worms that eat the mace original: macis. The outer husk has the same thickness as a peach, but is of a harder substance, whitish on the inside and filled with a thin, watery sap, with a sour and astringent taste, making it inedible. Within this husk is contained the kernel or true nut, where the crimson mace first appears, surrounding the black shell of the nut like a net, yet in such a way that the shell can be seen here and there. The nut is wider at the stem, where it remains white for the longest time, but ends in a small point at the top where the divisions of the mace are thickest and most tangled. The mace clings so firmly to the black shell that it forms a groove within it. This black shell is as thick as that of a hazelnut, but by no means as hard, for it can be easily broken and crushed into pieces. Finally, within this is contained the true fruit or kernel called the Nutmeg original: Nux Myristica, which does not adhere to the shell at all but is loose on all sides; in dried fruits, the nut shrinks slightly so that it makes a rattling sound if the fruit is shaken.

The nut itself is well enough known, being flat on one side (which is its bottom part) and slightly wrinkled all over. It has two forms: one is oblong and the other round. Both are equally good, though the round ones are usually harder. If the nut is pierced with a needle or split, it yields oil; if this does not appear, it is a sign that the nut is dried out and too old. There is only one true aromatic nut, but as mentioned, it has two forms: one tree bears oblong nuts and the other round ones. This difference also appears in the leaves of the tree, for one has longer leaves and the other shorter and rounder ones. However, both are equally aromatic and have the same virtues. The round nuts are called the "females" the fertile, cultivated variety of this tree. There is another kind called the "male," which has a shorter trunk and leaves and a rounder crown, otherwise similar to the former, but it must be distinguished from the other wild tree whose fruits are properly called "males."

The first male tree, called Pala Boy, bears many flowers but few and somewhat larger fruits, appearing as twins, which are usually marked on the front with a cross, as is the following Pala-Bacambar. They occur rarely and always isolated from other trees in places well-exposed to the sun; it seems this species is a degeneration of the true Nutmeg. Besides these two kinds, the aromatic nut has other varieties and "miscarriages" which do not constitute a different species, such as the Pala-Bacambar or twin nuts (called Palakende-kende in Banda). The fruit has a double groove on the outside running crosswise over it; otherwise, it is like the common one or a little larger. Inside is the Pala-Bacambar, bearing two kernels joined together, each included in its own shell and wrapped in its own mace. On the sides where they are joined, they are flat, with a thicker layer of mace placed between them; consequently, the inner nuts are only semi-round.

They have no special properties and are mixed with common nuts or kept as curiosities. It is a fiction and a superstition that if they are used in food, women will give birth to twins because of them.

Another variety is the Pala Pentsjoeri, that is, the "thief’s nut" Latin: furum nux. These either have no bony shell or only a part of one, and the mace lies against the bare nut. It is neither round nor oblong like the common sort, but slanted and of an irregular, lumpy shape. It is a harmful "miscarriage," for if it is mixed with other nuts or mace, it causes all those it lies near to rot and perish.

The outer shell is smooth, at first light-green, and when they are ripe, tending toward a pale color, like a ripe peach original: Persick; then the middle groove opens up and reveals the kernel, with a beautiful crimson red color peeking out from between, so that if the fruit remains hanging on the tree for another two or three days, the kernel falls out by itself. If it remains lying on the earth, it very easily gets worms and spoils because of the great oiliness in the nut, which usually happens in rainy weather. Even while still hanging on the tree, the outer shell gets short, thick worms that eat up the mace original: foelie. The outer shell or husk has the same thickness as a peach, but is somewhat harder in substance, and whitish on the inside, full of thin, watery sap, with a harsh, astringent taste, and therefore not edible. In this shell lies the kernel or true nut, upon which one first sees the crimson red mace, surrounding the black shell like a net and as if with small straps, yet in such a way that one can see the aforementioned shell in between here and there. It is somewhat wider at the top by the stem, where it also stays white the longest, and toward the front it runs to a slight point where the straps are thickest and woven together. The mace lies so firmly and tightly upon the black shell that it makes a groove therein. The black shell itself is quite as thick as that of a hazelnut, yet by no means so hard, for it can be easily broken and pushed into pieces. Inside this now lies the true fruit or kernel, which one calls Nutmegs original: Noote-muschaaten, which in no way clings to the aforementioned shell but is loose all around. The dried ones are a bit shrunken so that they rattle inside when one shakes the nut.

The nut itself is sufficiently known, being somewhat flat at one end (which is its back part) and somewhat wrinkled all over, of two kinds of shape: for one is oblong and the other round, both equally good, though the round ones turn out quite hard. If one sticks a needle into it or bites it open, an oil comes out; if this does not happen, it is a sign that the nut is no good or has grown old. The true spice-nut is but of one kind, yet, as said, has two shapes, namely one tree bears oblong and the other round nuts, which distinction one also sees in the leaves of the tree, one having them somewhat more oblong and the other somewhat shorter and rounder. Yet they are both equally spicy and of equal strength, and these latter or round ones are held to be the "female" the fertile, cultivated variety of the true Nutmeg tree. For it has another special gender which one calls the "male," being much shorter of trunk and leaves, rounder of crown, and otherwise like the common one, yet to be distinguished from another wild tree which one properly calls "male-nuts."

The first male tree then, named Pala boy, bears mostly flowers, but very few and somewhat larger fruits like twins, which are usually marked with a cross in front, just like the following Pala-Bacambar. They are found rarely, and then always separated from others, also standing well in the sun, and it seems that this sort is a degeneration of the common Nutmeg trees. Besides these two genders, the spicy nut has some other variations and "misfortunes," but which make no special kind, such as first the Pala-Bacambar, or twin nuts, named Palakende-kende in Banda, whose fruits have a double groove or split on the outside, running crosswise over each other, being otherwise like the common ones or a bit larger. Inside one finds the Pala-bacambar, having two kernels joined against each other, each in its own shell and also wrapped with its own mace. On the side where they lie against each other, they are flat, having between the two another thick mace, and consequently the inner nuts are also only half round.

They have no special property and are also mixed among the common nuts or kept as a rarity. It is a fiction or superstition that if used in food, they would cause women to give birth to twins.

Secondly, the Pala Pentsjoeri, that is "thief's nuts." These have no wooden shell, or only a piece of one, and the mace lies on the bare nut, it being not truly round nor oval like the common ones, but crooked and lumpy. It is also a harmful "misgrowth," for being mixed among other nuts or mace, it causes all those it lies near to rot and pass away.