Nut (fruit): Difference between revisions
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[[File:Hazelnuts.jpg|thumb|[[Hazelnut]]s from the [[Common Hazel]]]] |
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[[File:Chestnut.jpg|thumb|[[Chestnut]]s]] |
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[[File:W Nuss Gr 99.jpg|thumb|A [[walnut]] and a walnut core having been removed from the outer pithy fruit. Walnuts are not true nuts.]] |
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A '''nut''' is a hard-shelled [[fruit]] of some [[plant]]s having an [[indehiscent]] seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be ''true nuts''. Nuts are an important source of nutrients for both humans and wildlife. |
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Nuts are a composite of the seed and the fruit, where the fruit does not open to release the seed. Most seeds come from fruits, and the seeds are free of the fruit, unlike nuts like [[hazelnut]]s, hickories, [[chestnut]]s and [[acorn]]s, which have a stony fruit wall and originate from a compound ovary. Culinary usage of the term is less restrictive, and some nuts as defined in food preparation, like [[pistachio]]s and [[Brazil nut]]s,<ref name="tree_nuts_composition_phytochemicals_and_health_effects">{{Cite book | last1 = Alasalvar | first1 = Cesarettin | last2 = Shahidi | first2 = Fereidoon | title = Tree Nuts: Composition, Phytochemicals, and Health Effects (Nutraceutical Science and Technology) | date = | publisher = CRC | location = | isbn = 978-0-8493-3735-2 | page = 143 }}</ref> are not nuts in a biological sense. Everyday common usage of the term often refers to any hard walled, edible kernel, as a nut.<ref name="the_encyclopedia_of_seeds">{{Cite book | last1 = Black | first1 = Michael H. | last2 = Halmer | first2 = Peter | title = The encyclopedia of seeds: science, technology and uses | year = 2006 | publisher = CABI | location = Wallingford, UK | isbn = 978-0-85199-723-0 | page = 228 }}</ref> |
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== Botanical definition == |
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A nut in [[botany]] is a simple dry [[fruit]] with one [[seed]] (rarely two) in which the [[ovary (plants)|ovary]] wall becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity, and where the seed remains attached or fused with the ovary wall. Most nuts come from the [[carpel|pistils]] with ''inferior'' ovaries (see [[flower]]) and all are ''indehiscent'' (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plant families of the [[order (biology)|order]] [[Fagales]]. |
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;Order Fagales |
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<!-- Need a source and better information/explanation for this. Given the above definition walnuts, pecans and others in the Juglandaceae familly cannot be true nuts, as they are the seed of a larger fruit, similar to almonds. |
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*Family [[Juglandaceae]] |
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** [[Walnut]], [[butternut]] (''[[Juglans]]'') |
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** [[Hickory]], [[Pecan]] (''Carya'') |
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** [[Wingnut (plant)|Wingnut]] (''Pterocarya'') |
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--> |
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* Family [[Fagaceae]] |
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** [[Beech]] (''Fagus'') |
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** [[Chestnut]] (''Castanea'') |
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** [[Oak]] (''Quercus'') |
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** [[Lithocarpus|Stone-oak]], [[Tanoak]] (''Lithocarpus'') |
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* Family [[Betulaceae]] |
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** [[Alder]] (''Alnus'') |
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** [[Hazel]], [[Corylus maxima|Filbert]] (''Corylus'') |
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** [[Hornbeam]] |
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== Culinary definition and uses == |
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[[File:KoreanPineSeeds.jpg|right|thumb|[[Korean Pine]] nuts — unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below]] |
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A nut in [[cuisine]] is a much less restrictive category than a nut in botany, as the term is applied to many [[seed]]s that are not botanically true nuts. Any large, oily kernel found within a shell and used in food may be regarded as a nut. |
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Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a highly prized food and energy source. A large number of seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a [[snack food]], or pressed for oil that is used in [[cookery]] and [[cosmetics]]. Nuts (or seeds generally) are also a significant source of nutrition for wildlife. This is particularly true in temperate climates where animals such as [[jay]]s and [[squirrel]]s store [[acorn]]s and other nuts during the autumn to keep them from starving during the late autumn, all of winter, and early spring. |
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Nuts used for food, whether true nut or not, are among the most common [[food allergy|food allergens]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Common Food Allergens | url = http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/index.html | publisher = [[Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network]] | accessdate = 2007-06-24 }}</ref> |
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Some fruits and seeds that do not meet the botanical definition but are nuts in the culinary sense: |
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*[[Almond]]s, [[Pecan]]s and [[Walnut]]s are the edible seeds of [[drupe]] fruits — the leathery "flesh" is removed at harvest. |
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*[[Brazil nut]] is the seed from a [[capsule (fruit)|capsule]]. |
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*[[Candlenut]] (used for oil) is a seed. |
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*[[Cashew]] nut is a seed.<ref name="Sequeira">{{cite book|author=Lina Sequeira|title=Certificate Biology 3|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7AfHwKm8vu0C&pg=PA130|accessdate=29 July 2010|publisher=East African Publishers|isbn=9789966253316|pages=130–}}</ref> |
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*[[Gevuina]]nut |
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*[[Aesculus|Horse-chestnut]] is an inedible [[capsule (fruit)|capsule]]. |
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*[[Macadamia]] nut is a creamy white kernel ([[Macadamia integrifolia]]). |
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*[[Pachira aquatica|Malabar chestnut]] |
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*[[Mongongo]] |
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*[[Peanut]] is a [[legume]]. |
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*[[Pine nut]] is the seed of several species of [[pine]] ([[Pinophyta|coniferous]] trees). |
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*[[Pistachio]] nut is the seed of a thin-shelled drupe. |
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==Nutritional benefits== |
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[[File:Nuts and seeds (996x563).PNG|thumb|right|300px|A graph detailing the nutritional properties of nuts and oily seeds.]] |
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Several [[epidemiological]] studies have revealed that people who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from [[coronary heart disease]] (CHD).<ref>Kelly JH, Sabaté J (2006) Nuts and coronary heart disease: an epidemiological perspective. Br J Nutr 96, S61-S67.</ref> Nuts were first linked to protection against CHD in 1993.<ref>Sabaté J, Fraser GE, Burke K, Knutsen SF, Bennett H, Linsted KD (1993) Effects of walnuts on serum lipid levels and blood pressure in normal men. N Engl J Med 328, 603-607.</ref> Since then many [[clinical trial]]s have found that consumption of various nuts such as [[almond]]s and [[walnut]]s can lower serum [[LDL]] cholesterol concentrations. Although nuts contain various substances thought to possess cardioprotective effects, scientists believe that their Omega 3 [[fatty acid]] profile is at least in part responsible for the [[hypolipidemic]] response observed in clinical trials.<ref>Rajaram S, Hasso Haddad E, Mejia A, Sabaté J (2009) Walnuts and fatty fish influence different serum lipid fractions in normal to mildly hyperlipidemic individuals: a randomized controlled study. Am J Clin Nutr 2009, 89, 1657S-1663S.</ref> |
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In addition to possessing cardioprotective effects, nuts generally have a very low [[glycemic index]] (GI).<ref name=mendosa>{{cite web|title=Revised International Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values|year=2002 |
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|url=http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm |accessdate=2007-11-23 |work= |
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|author= David Mendosa}}</ref> |
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Consequently, dietitians frequently recommend nuts be included in diets prescribed for patients with [[insulin resistance]] problems such as [[diabetes mellitus type 2]].<ref>Josse AR, Kendall CWC, Augustin LSA, Ellis PR, Jenkins DJA (2007) Almonds and postprandial glycemia — a dose response study. Metabolism, 56, 400-404.</ref> |
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One study found that people who eat nuts live two to three years longer than those who do not.<ref>Fraser GE, Shavlik DJ (2001) Ten years of life: Is it a matter of choice? Arch Int Med, 161, 1645-1652.</ref> However, this may be because people who eat nuts tend to eat less [[junk food]].<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/LivingLonger/story?id=2805247&page=1 "ABC News: The Places Where People Live Longest"]. ''URL accessed January 18, 2007.''</ref> |
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Nuts contain the [[essential fatty acids]] linoleic and linolenic acids, and the fats in nuts for the most part are [[unsaturated fats]], including [[monounsaturated fats]]. |
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Many nuts are good sources of vitamins E and B<sub>2</sub> (riboflavin, an antioxidant), and are rich in protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium.<ref>Kris-Etherton PM, Yu-Poth S, Sabaté J, Ratcliffe HE, Zhao G, Etherton TD (1999) Nuts and their bioactive constituents: effects on serum lipids and other factors that affect disease risk. Am J Clin Nutr 70, 504S-511S.</ref> |
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==Other uses== |
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The nut of the [[Horse-chestnut (tree)|horse-chestnut]] tree (''Aesculus'' species, especially ''[[Aesculus hippocastanum]]''), is called a ''conker'' in the [[British Isles]]. Conkers are inedible because they contain toxic [[glucoside]] [[aesculin]]. They are used in a popular children's game, known as ''[[conkers]]'', where the nuts are threaded onto a strong cord and then each contestant attempts to break their opponent's conker by hitting it with their own. Horse chestnuts are also popular [[slingshot]] ammunition. |
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==Historical usage== |
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Nuts were a major part of the human diet 780,000 years ago including the wild almond, [[Euryale ferox|prickly water lily]], acorns, pistachio and [[water chestnut]]. [[Hominins|Prehistoric humans]] developed an assortment of tools to crack open nuts during the [[pleistocene]] period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scienceblog.com/community/older/2002/F/20022752.html |title=Remains of seven types of edible nuts and nutcrackers found at 780,000-year-old archaeological site |publisher=Scienceblog.com |date= |accessdate=2010-09-13}}</ref> ''[[Aesculus californica]]'', was eaten by the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] of [[California]] during famines after the toxic constituents were leached out. |
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==See also== |
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{{Portal|Food}} |
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* [[List of edible seeds]] |
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==References== |
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<references /> |
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* [[John Harvey Kellogg]], "Nuts May Save the Race." The Itinerary of Breakfast. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1920. 165–203. |
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==External links== |
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{{Commons category|Nuts}} |
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{{Cookbook|Nuts and Seeds}} |
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* [http://www.johnsankey.ca/crf/whatisanut.html Photos of nuts] |
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* [http://nutra-smart.net/nuts Nutra-Smart.net] Health Benefits of Nuts |
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* [http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/nuts/index.html Linus Pauling Micronutrient Information Centre] Nuts |
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* [http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/70/3/504S?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=nuts&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT American Journal of Clinical Nutrition] Nuts and their bioactive constituents: effects on serum lipids and other factors that affect disease risk |
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* [http://www.fruitandnuttrees.com/category/nut-trees Fruit and Nut Trees] |
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* [http://www.nutstudies.org/search.php Nut research] |
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{{Fruits}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nut (Fruit)}} |
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[[Category:Plant morphology]] |
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[[Category:Edible nuts and seeds]] |
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[[Category:Snack foods]] |
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[[Category:Vegan cuisine]] |
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[[Category:Vegetarian cuisine]] |
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[[Category:Christmas food]] |
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[[Category:Staple foods]] |
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[[ar:بندقة]] |
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[[an:Nuez (fruito)]] |
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[[be:Арэхі]] |
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[[be-x-old:Арэхі]] |
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[[bs:Orašasti plod]] |
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[[sh:Orašasti plod]] |
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[[br:Kraoñ]] |
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[[bg:Орех (плод)]] |
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[[ca:Núcula]] |
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[[cs:Oříšek]] |
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[[cy:Cneuen]] |
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[[da:Nød]] |
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[[de:Nussfrucht]] |
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[[et:Pähkel]] |
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[[es:Nuez (fruto)]] |
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[[eo:Nukso]] |
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[[fr:Fruit à coque]] |
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[[ga:Cnó]] |
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[[ko:견과]] |
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[[hi:दलहन]] |
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[[hr:Orah (plod)]] |
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[[id:Kacang]] |
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[[is:Hneta]] |
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[[it:Noce (botanica)]] |
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[[he:אגוז]] |
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[[ka:კაკალი (ნაყოფი)]] |
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[[sw:Jozi]] |
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[[ht:Nwa (fwi)]] |
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[[la:Nux]] |
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[[lb:Noss]] |
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[[lt:Riešutas]] |
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[[ms:Kacang]] |
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[[nl:Noot (botanisch)]] |
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[[ja:種実類]] |
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[[no:Nøtt]] |
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[[nn:Nøtt]] |
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[[pl:Orzech (botanika)]] |
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[[pnb:گری]] |
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[[pt:Noz]] |
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[[ru:Орех]] |
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[[se:Niehtit]] |
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[[scn:Nuci (fruttu)]] |
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[[simple:Nut (fruit)]] |
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[[sl:Orešek]] |
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[[sr:Орашасти плодови]] |
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[[fi:Pähkinä]] |
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[[sv:Nöt]] |
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[[ta:கொட்டை]] |
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[[tg:Чормағз]] |
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[[chr:ᏐᎯ]] |
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[[tr:Kuru yemiş]] |
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[[uk:Горіх (плід)]] |
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[[vi:Hạch (quả)]] |
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[[war:Nut (bunga)]] |
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[[yi:נוס]] |
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[[zh-yue:硬果]] |
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[[zh:坚果]] |
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Revision as of 16:31, 12 October 2010
itz great to have milk form ladys