piquian.
/ˈpiːkɪɑː/, /piːˈkiːə/, U.S. /ˈpikiə/, /piˈkiə/ A large tree of tropical South America, Caryocar villosum (family Caryocaraceae), grown commercially for timber and also valued locally for its oil-rich edible fruits and seeds (also piquia tree); the pale brown wood of this tree; the fruit of this tree. Also (partly by confusion): any of several related trees, esp. the pequi, C. brasiliense.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular fruit-tree or -plant > [noun] > tropical or exotic fruit-tree or -plant > of tropical America > butter-nut tree
piquia1625
saouari nut1806
butternut1827
1625 S. Purchas Hakluytus Posthumus IV. vii. i. 1307 There be two sorts of Pequea, one of them beares a fruit as big as a good orange... The other Pequea is timber.
1863 H. W. Bates Naturalist on River Amazons II. i. 48 The Pikiá..bears a large eatable fruit.
1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. I. 229/1 C. butyrosum..is called Pekea by the natives,..its timber..is valuable for ship-building, mill-work, etc.
1890 Cent. Dict. Piquia-oil, a sweet concrete food-oil derived from the fruit of Caryocar Brasiliense.
1911 Encycl. Brit. XIX. 918/2 The pekea nut, similar in appearance and properties [to the souari nut], is the produce of Caryocar butyrosum, growing in the same regions of tropical America.
1954 E. W. Eckey Veg. Fats & Oils xix. 684 The Brazilian tree, C. villosum, has a fruit of similar structure [to that of the souari, Caryocar nuciferum] but of considerably smaller size. Its nuts are known as piquia or pekea nuts.
1990 Pract. Woodworking Mar. 87/1 (advt.) Importers of decorative hardwoods... Stocks include..pequia.
2003 New Scientist 19 July 38/1 Selling piquia trees to loggers for a few dollars made little sense... Their local value lies in providing a prized fruit.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1625