List of largest seeds

Lodoicea maldivica, native to the Seychelles Archipelago, found in the Indian ocean

The largest seed in the world is the coco de mer,[1][2] the seed of a palm tree.[3] It can reach about 30 centimetres (12 inches) long, and weigh up to 18 kilograms (40 pounds). The coco de mer, which produces a giant, dark brown seed,[4] has been protected by the government of the Seychelles because of its rarity[5] – the tree can grow up to 31 m (102 ft) tall, with leaves measuring 6 m (20 ft) long and 3.6 m (12 ft) wide. Kigelia or "sausage seed" (botanical name Kigelia africana) can produce pods weighing up to 12 kg (26 lb), and 12–20 cm (4+1⁄2–8 in) long, but the pod contains seeds.

## List

[edit]

Other recorded largest seeds include:[6]

Seed  | Image  | Species  | Family  | Size in inches  | Size in cm  | Weight  | Notes

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Coco de mer  |  | Lodoicea maldivica | Palm family
(Arecaceae or Palmae)  | 12 in  | 30 cm  | 18 kg (40 lbs)  | The single largest Lodoicea seed found to date was one weighing 25 kg (55 lbs).[7]
Coconut  |  | Cocos nucifera | Palm family
(Arecaceae or Palmae)  | 6 inches  | 15 cm  |  | The Andaman Giant Coconut can have a weight of about 8 lbs (3.6 kg).[8]
Mora[9] or "Mangle Nato"  |  | Mora oleifera or Mora megistosperma | Senna family
(Caesalpinaceae)  | 7 in by 6 in by 3 in  | 18 cm by 15 cm by 8 cm.  | 2.2 lbs (1 kg)[10] |
East Indies Palmyra  |  | Borassus sundaicus | Palm family
(Arecaceae or Palmae)  |  |  | 2.2 lbs (1 kg)[11] |
African Palmyra  |  | Borassus aethiopum | Palm family
(Arecaceae or Palmae)  | Up to 4.29 inches by 3.15 in by 2.24 in.  | Up to 10.9 cm by 8 cm by 5.7 cm.[12] |  |
Caroline Ivory Palm  |  | Metroxylon amicarum | Palm family
(Arecaceae or Palmae)  | 4.5 inch sphere  | 11 cm sphere  | 1 lb. 4 oz (560 grams)[13] |
Muli  |  | Melocanna baccifera | Grass family
(Graminae or Poaceae)  | 3.9 inches long and nearly as wide.[14] | Ten cm long and nearly as wide.  | 12.3 oz (350 grams)[15] |
Also called "Mora"  |  | Mora excelsa | Senna family
(Caesalpinaceae)  | 5 in by 2.75 in.  | 12.5 cm by 8 cm.[16] | 8.8 oz (250 grams)[17] |
Tea Mangrove [18] |  | Pelliciera rhizophorae | Tea or Camellia family
(Theaceae)  | 4 in sphere.  | 10 cm sphere.  | 7 oz (200 grams)  |
Bornean ironwood, Belian var. "Tanduk"  |  | Eusideroxylon zwageri variety exilis | Laurel family
(Lauraceae)  | 6.3 in by 2 in diam.  | 160 mm by 5 cm diam.[19] |  |
Pohon Kira-kira  |  | Xylocarpus granatum | Mahogany family
(Meliaceae)  | Tetrahedral seeds four inches on a side.  | Tetrahedral seeds 10 cm on a side.[20] |  | Also called "puzzlenut" because the nuts can be reassembled into a sphere.
Chayote  |  | Sechium edule or Sicyos edule | Squash family
(Cucurbitaceae)  | 4 in by 2.75 in by 1 in.  | 10 cm by 7 cm by 2.5 cm.[21] |  |
Idiot fruit  |  | Idiospermum australiense | Spicebush family
(Calycanthaceae)  | 3.1 in sphere.  | 8 cm sphere.[22] | 7.9 oz. (225 grams)[23] | Very poisonous.
"Capucin".  |  | Northia seychellana | Sapote Family (Sapotaceae)  | 3.1 inches, and nearly as wide3.  | 8 centimeters, and nearly as wide.[24] | weight not stated  |
Avocado  |  | Persea americana | Laurel family
(Lauraceae)  | 3 in  | 7.6 cm  |  |
Chuya  |  | Pouteria speciosa | Sapote family (Sapotaceae)  | 3.5 in long by 2.4 in thick.  | 90 mm long by 60 mm thick.[25] |  |
Boko tree  |  | Balanites wilsoniana | Balanitaceae | 3.46 in by 1.81 in diameter.  | 8.8 cm by 4.7 cm diameter.[26] |  |
Pacó  |  | Grias tessmannii | Monkeypot family
(Lecythidaceae)  | 3.2 in by 2.5 in.[27] | 8 cm by 6.5 cm.  |  |
Cativo  |  | Prioria copaifera | Senna family
(Caesalpinaceae)  |  |  | Up to six ounces (170 grams)[28] |
California buckeye  |  | Aesculus californica | Horse chestnut family (Hippocastanaceae)  | 2.88 in width, 2.63 in breadth and 2.13 in height.[29] | 7.32 cm width, 6.68 cm breadth and 5.41 cm height  | 5 oz (140 grams)  | This is the largest of all temperate (non-tropical) seeds. Poisonous.
Calatola  |  | Calatola costaricensis | Metteniusaceae | 3 inches long by two inches wide.  | 7 cm long by 5 cm wide.[30] |
Provision tree, Guiana chestnut  |  | Pachira aquatica | Kapok family (Bombacaceae)  | Squarish seeds to 2.4 inches on a side.  | Squarish seeds to 6.1 cm. on a side.[31] |  |
Elephant Creeper.  |  | Entada phaseoloides | Mimosa family
(Mimosaceae)  | 2.8 in by 2.4 in by 1.0 in.  | 71 mm by 61 mm by 25 mm.[32] | 2.1 oz. (60 grams)  |
Tauari  |  | Couratari macrosperma | Monkeypot family
(Lecythidaceae)  | 3.9 inches by 1.2 inches.[33] | 10 cm by 3 cm.  |  |
Membrillo  |  | Gustavia dodsonii | Monkeypot family
(Lecythidaceae)  | 2.9 inches by 2,25 inches.  | 74 mm by 58 mm.[34] |  |
(no common name)  |  | Macrozamia macdonnellii | Coontie family
(Zamiaceae)  | 3.2 inches by 2.2 inches.  | 8 cm by 5.5 cm.[35] |  | The largest of all Gymnosperm seeds.
Amarillo, or South American Apricot.  |  | Mammea americana.  | Copay Family (Clusiaceae).  | 3.2 inches by about 2 inches.  | 8 cm by about 2 cm.[36] |  |
Also called Tauari  |  | Couratari longipedicellata | Monkeypot family (Lecythidaceae)  | Four inches long by 0.9 inches wide.  | 9.5 cm long by 2.3 cm wide.[37] |
(no common name)  |  | Grias multinervia | Monkeypot family
(Lecythidaceae)  | 3 inches by 1.17 inches.[38] | 77 mm by 30 mm.  |  |
Fatra  |  | Cycas thouarsii | Sago palm family
(Cycadaceae)  | 2.75 inches by 2.3 inches.  | 7 cm by 6 cm.[39] |  | Pachytesta incrassata of the Carboniferous deposits was up to 5 in by 2.5 in diam (12 cm by 6 cm diam.) and weighed about seven ounces (200 grams).[40]
Mango  |  | Mangifera indica | Sumac family
(Anacardiaceae)  | 2-4 inches  |  |  |
Peach  |  | Prunus persica | Rose family
(Rosaceae)  | 2 inches  | 3 cm  |  |

## See also

[edit]

* List of world records held by plants
* List of largest inflorescences
* List of superlative trees
* Seed
* Seedbed

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Quest The World's Largest Seed Archived 2011-06-23 at the Wayback Machine A KQED Multimedia Series Exploring Northern California Science, Environment and Nature.
2. ^ BGCI plants for the planet Our work Coco de Mer Archived 2019-02-06 at the Wayback Machine Investigate Coco de Mer on the BGCI Plant Search Database
3. ^ Fruit trivia Coco de mer - Q
4. ^ Britannica E. Coco de mer Double coconut
5. ^ "Coco de Mer (Management) Decree | Seychelles Legal Information Institute". www.seylii.org. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
6. ^ Jenifer Corr Morse (1 November 2011). Scholastic Book of World Records 2012. Scholastic Inc. pp. 202–. ISBN 978-0-545-33149-4. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
7. ^ Blackmore, Stephen; Chin, See-Chung; Chong Seng, Lindsay; Christie, Frieda; Inches, Fiona; Winda Utami, Putri; Watherston, Neil; Wortley, Alexandra H. (2012). "Observations on the Morphology, Pollination and Cultivation of Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica (J F Gmel.) Pers., Palmae)". Journal of Botany. 2012: 1–13\. doi:10.1155/2012/687832.
8. ^ K.P.V. Menon and K.M. Pandala, "The Coconut Palm - A Monograph" (Ernakulam, Kerala, India: The Indian Central Coconut Committee, 1958) pp. 96 & 98.
9. ^ Elbert L. Little and Robert G. Dixon, "Arboles Communes de la Provincia de Esmereldas" (Rome: UNFAO, 1969) p. 222
10. ^ Daniel H. Janzen, "Costa Rican Natural History", (Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press, 1983) p. 281.
11. ^ Chris Gray, "The Townsville Palmetum", THE PALM JOURNAL # 175 (March 2004)p. 30.
12. ^ "Borassus aethiopum Mart., Hist. Nat. Palm. 3: 221 (1838) | PALMweb".
13. ^ James C. McCurrach, "Palms of the World" (Stuart, Fla.: Horticultural Books, Inc., 1980 reprint - orig 1960) p. 139.
14. ^ "Melocanna baccifera Description". GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. RBG Kew.[dead link]
15. ^ Daniel H. Janzen, "Why do Bamboos Wait so Long to Flower?", ANN. REV. ECOL. SYST. Vol 7 (1974) p. 9.
16. ^ Kew Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information # 8 (November 1, 1932) p. 397
17. ^ Victor C. Quesner and T. Francis Farrell, "Native Trees of Trinidad and Tobago" (Port of Spain: T & T Field Naturalists Club, 2000) p. 86.
18. ^ "Mangrove". Mangrove.at.
19. ^ Yukitoshi Kimoto et al, "Embryology of Eusideroxylon...etc", BOTANICAL JOURNAL of the LINNEAN SOCIETY Vol. 150 # 2 (February 2006) p. 190.
20. ^ Margaret Percival and John S. Womersley, "Floristics and Ecology of Mangrove Vegetation in Papua New Guinea", BOTANICAL BULLETIN # 8 (Lae: Dept. of Forests, 1975) p. 90.
21. ^ Fayaz, Ahmed. Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants. Buffalo, N.Y.: Firefly Books. p. 451\. ISBN 978-1-55407-489-1.
22. ^ Franks, P. J. and P. L. Drake (2003). "Desiccation-induced loss of seed viability is associated with a 10-fold increase in CO(2) evolution in seeds of the rare tropical rainforest tree Idiospermum australiense." New Phytologist 159(1): 253-261.
23. ^ Will Edwards; Paul Gadek; Ellen Weber; Stuart Worboys (June 2001). "Idiosyncratic phenomenon of regeneration from cotyledonsin the idiot fruit tree, Idiospermum australiense". Austral Ecology. 26 (3): 254. Bibcode:2001AusEc..26..254E. doi:10.1046/j.1442-9993.2001.01110.x. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
24. ^ Wise, Rosemary (1998). A Fragile Eden. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. p. Plate No. 51 with caption.
25. ^ Polak, A. M. (1992). Major Timber Trees of Guyana - A Field Guide. Wageningen, Netherlands: Tropenbos Foundation. pp. 156–157.
26. ^ Chapman, Lauren J. (August 1992). "Balanites wilsoniana - Elephant dependent Dispersion?". Journal of Tropical Ecology. 8 (3): 275–283\. doi:10.1017/S0266467400006519. S2CID 44759915.
27. ^ Elbert L. Little and Robert G. Dixon, "Arboles Communes de la Provincia de Esmeraldes" (Rome: UNFAO, 1969) Illust p. 437 plus caption p. 436.
28. ^ Dalling, J.W. (1997). "Seed Damage Tolerance and Seedling Resprouting...etc". Journal of Tropical Ecology. 13 (1): 481–490\. doi:10.1017/S026646740001066X. S2CID 16969638.
29. ^ Personal observations and measurements made in Riverside, California on November 27, 2015. This is the largest of all temperate (non-tropical) seeds.
30. ^ Zuchowski, Willow (2007). Tropical Plants of Costa Rica. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell Univ. Press. pp. 335 (photo) and 336. ISBN 978-0801445880.
31. ^ Croat, Thomas B. (1978). Flora of Barro Colorado Island. Stanford, California: Stanford Univ. Press. pp. 589–591.
32. ^ Dr. Jerry Sulivan, "The Godzilla Entada", THE DRIFTING SEED (May 2005 p. 10
33. ^ Van Roosmalen, Marc (n.d.). ""Illustrated guide to the Fruits and seeds of the Amazonian Flora" p. 26". Retrieved 2007-04-04.
34. ^ Flora Neotropica Volume 21 Part 1 (Lecythidaceae) (August 1979) p, 160.
35. ^ Jessop, John (1981). Flora of Central Australia. Sydney: Reed Book Pty. Ltd. p. 14.
36. ^ Fayaz, Ahmed (2011). Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books. p. 387\. ISBN 978-1-55407-489-1.
37. ^ Van Roosmalen, Marc. "Illustrated Guide to the Fruits and Seeds of the Amazonian Flora". p. 22. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
38. ^ Prance, Ghillian; Mori, Scott A. (15 August 1979). "Lecythidaceae". Flora Neotropica. 21: 199.
39. ^ Robert K.F. Pilger, "Cycadaceae", NATURLICHEN PFLANZENFAMILIEN (Leipzig: Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, 1926) 2nd Auflage Band 13 p. 69.
40. ^ "VIII Tamanos y Formas". Retrieved 2001-12-04.[dead link]

## External links

[edit]

* Coco de Mer Cerf Island