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Bixaceae; keys
Bixa orellana L.; achiote, annatto
Shrub;
leaves alternate, simple, ovate; inflorescence a terminal panicle;
flowers pale pink; stamens numerous; fruit a globose capsule covered
with soft spines, red when young, at maturity dry and brown; seeds
covered with with a powdery orange substance. (Image at left photographed
at Hacienda Tabi.)
Additional images:
The seeds are covered with a powdery pigment that is widely
used as a food coloring or, in some parts of the neotropics, as
body or face paint.
Listed as an important source of pollen and/or nectar for bees
(Souza Novello 1981).
Shrub;
leaves alternate, simple, ovate; inflorescence a terminal panicle;
flowers pale pink; stamens numerous; fruit a globose capsule covered
with soft spines, red when young, at maturity dry and brown; seeds
covered with with a powdery orange substance. (Image at left photographed
at Hacienda Tabi.)
