Warwickshire Museum holds a seed from the coco de mer palm tree and it is definitely worth a look as it is possibly one of the original specimens making up the natural history collection of the Warwick and Leamington Phrenological Society, collected during the early 19th century.
Largest seed in the world
This huge seed comes from the Lodoicea maldivica palm tree, of the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean and is the largest seed in the world. Much mystery shrouds both the seeds and the plants, stemming from the former’s womanly appearance and gigantic size and from the latter’s unusual fertilisation methods and isolated existence.
Theories and legends
The seeds of the coco de mer would wash up along the shores of Indonesia and many theories and legends accumulated, concerning both the purpose and the meaning of these unusual objects. It was originally believed that the seeds were borne from underwater trees, as the palms that they come from can be found only in the Seychelles, far removed from their final resting places. Sailors historically reported seeing the seeds ‘falling upwards’ from the depths of the ocean, adding further fuel to this legend.
Passionate embrace
The Lodoicea maldivica palm tree has separate male and female plants. The female plant bears the feminine-shaped coco de mer seed and the male plant, a catkin. Local folklore tells that, on a stormy night, the two plants share a passionate embrace to fertilise the female’s seed and that any unfortunate soul happening upon this exchange will surely go blind or die! Other, less imaginative and unexciting individuals will tell you that the female seeds are likely fertilised by animals such as lizards or possibly bees transferring pollen from the male tree.
Which version is true is ultimately down to your discretion. But whichever one you chose to believe, it cannot be denied that these amazing palms have a truly fascinating history. It is no wonder that they attracted the attention of 19th century naturalists, here in Warwickshire.
Comments
It is interesting that this specimen has had the natural coating polished out on the upper part of the seed. They were often polished completely. Many were made into various vessels with metal mounts. I have a completely unpolished example in my collection which I found in an antique shop in Herefordshire 35 years ago.
Can anyone tell me how much these seeds were worth at the turn of the 20th century? Was there more interest then in collecting these seeds than there is now?
I don’t know what their market value was at the turn of the 20th century, but there was definitely a market for them at that time, and during the latter part of the 19th century. They were often polished and mounted, and sold as curiosities. These antiques can fetch high prices today.
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