The world's largest plant seeds, similar to naked female hips

The second largest island of the Seychelles archipelago Praslin is the birthplace of the Lodoicea of ​​the Maldives or, more simply, Seychelles palm. This plant is unique in that it produces the largest seeds in the world, with a diameter of about a meter and weighing about 45 kilograms. However, most of all, these fruits strike not so much in their size as in forms resembling naked female hips.

In ancient times, legends were invented about incredible giant nuts. Since they were never seen growing on the ground, but were always found washed ashore, people believed that these were the fruits of marine plants and they grow on the deep sea bottom, for which they called them sea coconuts.

Then, they were ready to pay a fortune for an outlandish fruit, filling its shell with gold to the top - that was exactly what merchants asked for it. Healers added a lot of excitement, saying that a mysterious nut copes with many diseases better than any medicine, and is especially effective in increasing male potency.

The French solved the mystery of the origin of sea coconut when, in the middle of the 18th century, they accidentally discovered a reserved palm on the island of Praslin. As it turned out, the trees of Lodoicea of ​​Maldives have a different gender, and the seed that fell into the soil sprouts only after a year. Seeds are heavier than water, and having been in the sea lose their ability to germinate, which is why the sea current has not yet settled the beautiful plant on other continents.

Seychelles palms live for 800 years and stretch over this time by 30 meters. However, the plant picks up its first 10 meters only by the age of two hundred. Trees begin to bear fruit only after 25 years, and the grown fruits themselves go to a state of full ripening for 7-10 years.

Up to 3 thousand giant nuts are collected on the island of Praslin per year, all of them are counted and numbered. The cost of these powerful seeds varies from about 250 to 300 dollars, but especially large specimens will cost much more. To take out the purchase, you must have a special certificate confirming that the nut was purchased from an authorized seller.

Local craftsmen create beautiful products from the shell of a sea coconut: bowls, vases, caskets and many other elegant crafts.