Gustavia superba, of the Monkey Pot Family (Lecythidaceae) is an understory tree that grows in Central and north-western South America.

The trunk is around 5-10m high with a rosette of very large leaves radiating from the top (like palms).

Gustavia superba grows naturally as an understory tree, where it is abundant, especially in secondary forests[2] .

Inside the hard green shell are several large seeds about 4 cm in diameter.

[5] The tree is not widely known outside its native range from Ecuador to Panama and Venezuela, but has been planted in tropical botanical gardens, including in Singapore (where it is referred to as 'pungol') and Australia.