The coco de mer (Lodoicea maldivica) is a species of palm that only occurs naturally in the Seychelles. It produces the largest and heaviest seeds in the world. Seeds can reach 50 cm in diameter and weigh over 25 kg. They are highly sought after for traditional medicine and the leaves of the palm are often used as thatch. They are also prized souvenirs due to their unusual shape – like a woman’s bottom on one side and her belly and thighs on the other. As a result the coco de mer palm is critically endangered and is now a protected species.
Mariners would find the seeds washed up on remote beaches or floating on the waves, hence the common name coco de mer or sea coconut. However, seeds that have crossed oceans will not germinate. The seeds were once believed to grow on trees beneath the waves of the Indian Ocean.
The small metal disc on the nut records where, when and by whom the seed was collected. This one reads ‘From The Mauritius by Capt W M Barratt, June 1842’ as he collected this specimen.
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