Jump to content

List of largest seeds

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Paul2520 (talk | contribs) at 16:15, 21 November 2022 (clears CS1 date error(s) (via WP:JWB)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

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.

The list

Other recorded largest seeds include:[6]

Seed Image Species Family Size in inches Size in cm Weight Notes
Coco de mer Lodoicea maldivica The 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 The 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] Mora oleifera or M. megistosperma The 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 The Palm Family
(Arecaceae or Palmae). 		2.2 lbs (1 kg)[11]
African Palmyra Borassus aethiopum The 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 The Palm Family
(Arecaceae or Palmae) 		4.5 inch sphere 11 cm sphere 1 lb. 4 oz (560 grams).[13]
Muli Melocanna baccifera The 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 The 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 The Tea, or Camellia Family
(Theaceae) 		4 in sphere. 10 cm sphere. 7 oz (200 grams).
Bornean Ironwood, or Belian var. "Tanduk" Eusideroxylon zwageri variety exilis The Laurel Family
(Lauraceae) 		6.3 in by 2 in diam. 160 mm by 5 cm diam.[19]
Pohon Kira-kira Xylocarpus granatum The 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 The 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 The Spicebush Family
(Calycanthaceae) 		3.1 in sphere. 8 cm sphere.[22] 7.9 oz. (225 grams)[23] Very poisonous.
Avocado Persea americana The Laurel Family
(Lauraceae) 		3 in 7.6 cm
Chuya Pouteria speciosa The Sapote Family (Sapotaceae) 3.5 in long by 2.4 in thick. 90 mm long by 60 mm thick.[24]
The Boko Tree Balanites wilsoniana Balanitaceae 3.46 in by 1.81 in diameter. 8.8 cm by 4.7 cm diameter.[25]
Pacó Grias tessmannii The Monkeypot Family
(Lecythidaceae) 		3.2 in by 2.5 in.[26] 8 cm by 6.5 cm.
Cativo Prioria copaifera The Senna Family
Caesalpinaceae 		Up to six ounces (170 grams)[27]
California Buckeye Aesculus californica The Horse Chestnut Family
(Hippocastanaceae) 		2.88 in width, 2.63 in breadth and 2.13 in height.[28] 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.
Provision Tree, or Guiana Chestnut. Pachira aquatica The Kapok Family
Bombcaceae 		Squarish seeds to 2.4 inches on a side. Squarish seeds to 6.1 cm. on a side.[29]
Elephant Creeper. Entada phaseoloides The Mimosa Family
(Mimosaceae) 		2.8 in by 2.4 in by 1.0 in. 71 mm by 61 mm by 25 mm.[30] 2.1 oz. (60 grams)
Tauari Couratari macrosperma The Monkeypot Family
(Lecythidaceae) 		3.9 inches by 1.2 inches.[31] 10 cm by 3 cm.
Membrillo Gustavia dodsonii The Monkeypot Fanily
(Lecythidaceae) 		2.9 inches by 2,25 inches. 74mm by 58mm.[32]
{No common name) Macrozamia macdonnellii The Coontie Family
(Zamiaceae) 		3.2 inches by 2.2 inches. 8 cm by 5.5 cm.[33] The largest of all Gymnosperm seeds.
Also called Tauari Couratari longipedicellata The Monkeypot Family (Lecythidaceae) Four inches long by 0.9 inches wide. 9.5 cm long by 2.3 cm wide.[34]
(no common name) Grias multinervia The Monkeypot Family
{Lecythidaceae) 		3 inches by 1.17 inches.[35] 77mm by 30 mm.
Fatra Cycas thouarsii The Sago Palm Family.
(Cycadaceae) 		2.75 inches by 2.3 inches. 7 cm by 6 cm.[36] 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).[37]
Mango Mangifera indica The Sumac Family
(Anacardiaceae) 		2-4 inches
Peach Prunus persica The Rose Family
(Rosaceae) 		2 inches 3 cm

See also

References

  1. ^ Quest The World's Largest Seed A KQED Multimedia Series Exploring Northern California Science, Environment and Nature.
  2. ^ BGCI plants for the planet Our work Coco de Mer 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.
  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. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  24. ^ Polak, A. M. (1992). Major Timber Trees of Guyana - A Field Guide. Wageningen, Netherlands: Tropenbos Foundation. pp. 156–157.
  25. ^ Chapman, Lauren J. (August 1992). "Balanites wilsoniana - Elephant dependent Dispersion?". Journal of Tropical Ecology. 8 (3): 275–283. doi:10.1017/S0266467400006519.
  26. ^ Elbert L. Little and Robert G. Dixon, "Arboles Communes de la Provincia de Esmeraldes" (Rome: UNFAO, 1969) Illust p. 437 plus caption p. 436.
  27. ^ Dalling, J.W. (1997). "Seed Damage Tolerance and Seedling Resprouting...etc". Journal of Tropical Ecology. 13 (1): 481–490. doi:10.1017/S026646740001066X.
  28. ^ Personal observations and measurements made in Riverside, California on November 27, 2015. This is the largest of all temperate (non-tropical) seeds.
  29. ^ Croat, Thomas B. (1978). Flora of Barro Colorado Island. Stanford, California: Stanford Univ. Press. pp. 589–591.
  30. ^ Dr. Jerry Sulivan, "The Godzilla Entada", THE DRIFTING SEED (May 2005 p. 10
  31. ^ Van Roosmalen, Marc (n.d.). ""Illustrated guide to the Fruits and seeds of the Amazonian Flora" p. 26". Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  32. ^ Flora Neotropica Volume 21 Part 1 (Lecythidaceae) (August 1979) p, 160.
  33. ^ Jessop, John (1981). Flora of Central Australia. Sydney: Reed Book Pty. Ltd. p. 14.
  34. ^ Van Roosmalen, Marc. "Illustrated Guide to the Fruits and Seeds of the Amazonian Flora". p. 22. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
  35. ^ Prance, Ghillian; Mori, Scott A. (15 August 1979). "Lecythidaceae". Flora Neotropica. 21: 199.
  36. ^ Robert K.F. Pilger, "Cycadaceae", NATURLICHEN PFLANZENFAMILIEN (Leipzig: Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, 1926) 2nd Auflage Band 13 p. 69.
  37. ^ "VIII Tamanos y Formas". Retrieved 2001-12-04.[dead link]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_largest_seeds&oldid=1123066259"