As one travels from St.George's along the middle of the island over the Grand Etang road, the valleys and lower hillsides are seen to be carpeted in a rolling greenish yellow, a lighter green than the surrounding vegetation. This is the glossy lime-green leaves of the nutmeg tree, the tree that has significantly contributed to Grenada being called the ISLE OF SPICE (photograph 1).

This tall, spreading, sometimes conical evergreen dioecious tree, Myristica fragrans of the family MYRISTICACEAE exhibits dangling ornamentals, light-bulb like mature fruits coloured yellow or yellow with a flash of crimson red when dehisced (photograph 2). This fruit when ripe and dehisced is regarded as one of the most beautiful fruits in nature (Ridley, 1912).

The fruit produces two separate and distinct spice products, the nutmeg which is the seed kernel and mace which is the dried net-like aril that surrounds the single seed in the fruit.

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