Nutmeg fruits. Hand holding nutmeg apples (Myristica fragrans), an edible fruit. The seed (nutmeg, brown) is used as a spice as is the seed's outer covering (aril, red), which is known as mace. Nutmeg is an evergreen tree native to the eastern islands of the Moluccas, although it is now cultivated in Indonesia and Grenada. The nutmeg seed is used grated in various foods and as a herbal remedy for its stimulative, astringent & aphrodisiac properties. Mace is used dried to flavour savoury dishes. Photographed on the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania.