Nutmeg is an evergreen, small, dioecious tree attaining from 5 to 20 meters tall, crown is conical in shape. Bark is greyish-brown and when cut, it exudes a light red sap, a generic character for all species of Myristica. Leaves are alternate, simple, without stipules, papery thin; the stalk is about 1 centimeter long; leaf blades are elliptic to lanceolate, base acute, margin entire, top acuminate, aromatic when crushed. The inflorescences are axillary, in umbrella-like grouped flowers, male usually many-flowered, female 1 to 3 flowers only; flowers are fragrant, with fine hairs becoming smooth, pale yellow, floral envelopes 3-lobed; male flowers with slender stalk of less than 1 mm thick, usually narrowed at the base and with 8 to 12 stamens; female flowers with superior stalkless 1- celled ovary. Fruits are peach-shaped berry or drupe-like, fleshy, yellowish, splitting open into halves when ripe, containing only one ovoid seed, with a shiny dark brown, hard and stony furrowed and longitudinally wrinkled shell, enveloped by an aril cut into narrow parts that is attached to its base, the kernel with a small embryo and a chewed-up endosperm that contains many veins containing essential oils.

Stimulant, carminative, astringent and aphrodisiac

Monograph
Herbal Monograph
MSDS
Nutmeg

1,8-cineole, acetic acid, alpha-phellandrene, alpha-terpinene, alpha-terpineol, butyric acid, camphene, caprylic acid, elemicin, eugenol, formic acid, furfural, gamma-terpinene, geraniol, geranyl-acetate, isoeugenol, lauric acid, limonene, linoleic acid, methyl-eugenol, methyl-isoeugenol, myrcene, myristic acid, oleanolic acid, oleic acid, p-cymene, palmitic acid, safrole, stearic acid, terpinen-4-ol, terpineol, terpinolene (seed); myristicin (leaf); kaempferol, quercetin (plant)

Used in treatment of pestilential and putrid fevers, asthma and heart disease, digestive disorders, kidney disease and lymphatic ailments. It stimulates the appetite and improves digestion and calms nausea and vomiting. The nutmeg oil is used to dispel flatulence.

Eating nutmegs produces stomach pain, double vision, delirium, and other symptoms of poisoning. Contraindicated in pregnancy. Do not use as a treatment on young children. Safety in those with severe liver or kidney disease is not known.