The nutmeg tree, a large evergreen, yields two distinct spices: nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg refers to the seed kernel found inside its fruit, while mace is the delicate, lacy covering (aril) surrounding the kernel. The fruit of the nutmeg tree is yellow and mottled, resembling a small peach in size and shape. When the fruit splits open, it reveals a bright red, net-like covering known as the aril, which surrounds a dark, shiny pit resembling a nut. Inside this pit lies the oval-shaped seed known as nutmeg. Typically, nutmegs are sold without the mace or hard shell.