The whole and ground, cleaned and dried seeds of Myristica fragrans Houtt. The nutmeg tree is a large evergreen, it produces inside the two spices — mace and nutmeg. Nutmeg is the seed kernel fruit and mace is the lacy covering (aril) on the kernel. The nutmeg seed is encased in a mottled yellow, edible fruit, the approximate size and shape of a small peach. The fruit splits in half to reveal a net-like, bright red covering over the seed, the aril. Under the aril is a dark shiny nut-like pit, and inside that is the oval shaped seed which is the nutmeg. Nutmegs are usually sold without the mace or hard shell.