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Vegetable Ivory |
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vegetable ivory: see tagua tagua , fruit of the ivory-nut palm (Phytelephas macrocarpa), which flourishes in tropical America from Paraguay to Panama. The female palms bear large woody, burrlike fruits, each containing several seeds about the size of hen's eggs.
..... Click the link for more information. . vegetable ivory [′vej·tə·bəl ‚īv·rē] (materials) A material from the ivory nut, a seed of the palmPhytelephas macrocarpa, which grows in tropical America; the nut has a white color and fine texture and is used to make buttons and similar small articles. Vegetable Ivory a natural product obtained from the seeds of the South American palm Phytelephas makrocarpa. The tree’s large aggregate fruit contains numerous seeds, each one the size of a hen’s egg. Under the brown casing of the seed there is a white cornaceous endosperm. The endosperm, which is extremely hard, is used to imitate ivory in the manufacture of buttons and other small items. Ecuador is the world’s principal exporter of vegetable ivory, with annual exports reaching 20,000 tons. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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