Earlier, it was believed that the sea dispersed the seed. The petiole is about 4 metres in length, and the leaves are plicate at the base. We value your privacy. Seychelles Visa for Indians - Tourist Visa Application & Conditions, Fly Fishing In Seychelles - Experience the Deep Blue Safari, Commuting Within Seychelles - How To Get Around The Land Of Beaches, Learn About Seychelles Culture, Traditions & People, Snorkelling In Seychelles - A Complete Guide, Scuba Diving in Seychelles - 7 Best Places to Go Diving. The nuts can only float after the germination process, when they are hollow. [14][15], Of the six endemic palms it is the only dioecious species, with male and female flowers on different plants.[16]. These can be bought from all licensed gift stores in uptown Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Coco de Mer Filter applied. The leaves are fan-shaped, 7–10 m long and 4.5 m wide with a 4 m petiole in mature plants. The fruit takes between 6 to 10 years to mature and is generally two-lobed but may have four or even six lobes. A nut is an invaluable object in Seychelles, and to maintain its sanctity, the government has imposed several rules as to its sale and transport to other parts of the world. In the Maldives, the nuts were inevitably the property of the royal king. 876-1889. ex J. It takes six to seven years to mature and another two to three years to germinate. A "love nut," a product of the Coco De Mer tree, which only grows on the Seychelles Islands. Seychelles was visited by General Charles George Gordon in 1881. The base of the trunk is of a bulbous form and this bulb fits into a natural bowl, or socket, about 2.5 ft in diameter and 18 inches in depth, narrowing towards the bottom. The nut of Coco de Mer is the largest in the plant kingdom. The male flowers are arranged in a catkin-like inflorescence up to 1 m long which continues to produce pollen over a ten-year period; one … The giant aphrodisiac nut, Coco de Mer, was gifted to the royal couple by the Seychelles government who considered it a privilege to host them for their royal honeymoon. The seed of the Coco de Mer is the largest in the world. They are distributed on the coastlands surrounding the Indian ocean and the existing islands within. The tree grows in the Seychelle Islands, in the Indian Ocean, and the shell washes ashore in southern Iran. As a tourist, this is the best sovereign you can take from Seychelles. The only known specimen is in the Botanical Garden of Kolkata, maintained by Botanical Survey of India. [22] Conservation priorities are the continued protection of populations, enforcement of regulations and effective fire control. The flowers are borne in enormous fleshy spadices (spikes), the male and female on distinct plants. The Coco de Mer has been the most prized and cherished nut, only increasing its allure. This nut has garnered attention due to its naughty, peculiar shape resembling that of a female bottom. [13], The fruit is bilobed, flattened, 40 to 50 cm long ovoid and pointed, and contains usually one but occasionally two to four seeds. The fruit of Coco de Mer is the largest in the world with a diameter of 40-50 centimetres and a weight of 15-30 kilogrammes. Many of the gigantic Coco de Mer trees in the Vallée de Mai are estimated to be hundreds of years old. The funnel formed by the leaves traps the pollen which is carried to the base during rainfall, thereby ensuring that the tree has enough nutrients. The tourists are, therefore, obliged to follow these since breaking the rules results in a penalty comprising heavy fines, and in some cases, even jail. World’s biggest nut. Apr 27, 2015 - (Lodoicea maldavica). The nectar and pollen are also food for several endemic animals e.g. The tallest on record, measured on the ground after felling, was 186 feet (56.7 meters) in total height. It can take up to 40 years for a tree to reach adulthood! However, it is now known that the viable nut is too dense to float, and only rotted out nuts can be found on the sea surface,[19] thus explaining why the trees are limited in range to just two islands. [18], Inflorescences are interfoliar, lacking a covering spathe and shorter than the leaves. The fruits can take up to 10 years t… Sometimes, it can also hold two to four seeds. What is coco de mer fruit? A few good places to name are St. Anne on Praslin and the La Ciota building near the hospital in, The price of the Coco de Mer nut depends primarily on its quality and size. E.J.H. dimensions: H.51cm (including stand) H.32 cm (without stand), W.15-D.15 cm Weight: 2.9 kg incl. This palm has been lost from the wild from three Seychelles islands within its former range. A French word, the Coco de Mer translates into 'coconut of the sea'. They are ovoid with three petals as well as three sepals. Lodoicea, commonly known as the sea coconut, coco de mer, or double coconut, is a monotypic genus in the palm family. Also to be noted is that all shops do not sell at the same price - you can get as many as 30 nuts at SCR 3000 in one. The crown is a rather dense head of foliage with leaves that are stiff, palmate up to 10 m in diameter and petioles of two to four metres in length. However juveniles produce much longer petioles; up to 29' 6" (9 meters)[5][6] or even 33 feet (10 meters). The 'love nut' was given to the "deeply in love" couple by foreign minister Jean-Paul Adam on behalf of Seychelles President James Michael at a ceremony in Mahe. For the fruit of the sugar palm, see. The male flowers are arranged in a catkin-like inflorescence up to 1 m long which continues to produce pollen over a ten-year period; one of the longest living inflorescences known. You definitely cannot leave Seychelles without packing it in your bag. Lodoicea was once believed to be a sea-bean or drift seed, a seed evolved to be dispersed by the sea. However, legend has it that those who saw the trees making love to each other either died or went blind. The name of the genus, Lodoicea, may be derived from Lodoicus, the Latinised form of Louis, in honour of King Louis XV of France. The pistillate inflorescences are also one to two metres long unbranched and the flowers are borne on a zig-zagging rachilla. Nevertheless, these legends are quite exciting and lend an unusual dimension to the Coco de Mer. It grows on tall trees and is exclusive to a tiny area in Seychelles. The tree generally grows to 25–34 m tall. The fruit is used in Siddha medicine, Ayurvedic medicine and also in traditional Chinese medicine. see all. [17] Pollination by wind and rain are also thought to be important. The designs are an exiting combination of decadence, sensuality and fashion. Read About the First Indian Woman To Solo Bike From Kanyakumari to Leh, Get Away From The Commercial Hustle and Take A Nice Getaway to the Earth House in Palampur, 'A Place of Magic' - This Girl Gang Explores The Quaint Hamlet - Shangarh - In Himachal, Not Your Average 67-Years Old, Linda Turned Into A Travel Influencer With 56k Followers After Her Divorce, 11 Instagrammable Cities in India to Add to Your Post-Covid Bucket List, Plan your trip with experts and get best offers. All reviews coco de mer giant tortoises fruit bats beautiful garden entrance fee exotic plants chinese garden worth a visit plant life few hours flora and fauna walk around mahe island la digue feed tree turtles . The coco de mer produces the world's largest wild fruit and the world's heaviest seeds. [13], Lodoicea belongs to the Coryphoidae subfamily and tribe Borasseae. Other sources say that Lodoicea is from Laodice, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba. The pistillate flowers are solitary and borne at the angles of the rachis and are partially sunken in it in the form of a cup. Fresh Fruit Quiz from Quiz Diva 100% correct answers. Brooklyn Museum. For the lingerie brand of the same name, see, "Sea coconut" redirects here. Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve: Coco de mer - See 2,841 traveler reviews, 2,181 candid photos, and great deals for Anse Volbert, Seychelles, at Tripadvisor. Price. The steel bowl (13) has the same shape. João de Barros, the great Portuguese historian, believed that its healing powers even surpassed the precious stone Bezoar. Lodoicea is robust, solitary, up to 30 m tall with an erect, spineless, stem which is ringed with leaf scars (Calstrom, unpublished). "Coco de mer" redirects here. This spectacular species has the distinction of holding five botanical records- the largest fruit, the heaviest seed, the longest cotyledon, the largest female flower of any palm and the most efficient plant in drawing up nutrients. Sea Coconut – Coco de Mer 51x29x15 cm on custom made stand - Lodoicea maldivica 1940 – Seychelles -pre CITES (which means Pre-1947) is sold together with the custom made stand from beech wood foot (25x20x4cm) and metal frame. [7] It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. Coco de mer fruits, among the largest known, take about 10 years to ripen; they have a fleshy and fibrous envelope surrounding a hard, nutlike portion that is generally two-lobed, suggesting … The epicarp is smooth and the mesocarp is fibrous. [9] Of the six monospecific endemic palms in Seychelles, Lodoicea is the "only true case of island gigantism among Seychelles flowering plants, a unique feature of Seychelles vegetation". Once mature, the palms begin to flower, creating seeds that take two years to germinate and fruit that then takes six to ten years to ripen. Not surprisingly, this nut was viewed by people in other parts of the world as a rare and fascinating object with mythological and even magical properties. Coco de Mer. © Holidify Travels Pvt Ltd.- All Right Reserved. Victoria : Travel Guide to The Capital City of Seychelles, Mahe Island - Everything You Need to Know, An Essential Guide on Aride Island, Seychelles, An Explorers Guide to Praslin Island Seychelles, Silhouette Island - Your Guide to the Stunning Isle of Seychelles, Bel Ombre, Seychelles - A Destination Guide, Curieuse Island and The Marine National Park in Seychelles. It then takes another 7-10 years for the nut to grow and to fall off the tree. The sole species, Lodoicea maldivica, is endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles. 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