| The Vallée de Mai on Praslin, Seychelles'
second largest island, contains the largest |
| intact forest of the endemic coco de mer palms,
Lodoicea maldivica. |
| The Coco de mer nut holds the record for the
largest leaf and the biggest seed in the |
| entire plant kingdom. So rare, early sailors
thought they came from a tree growing |
| beneath the ocean. The mysterious nuts came to
be called coco de mer or "coconut of the |
| sea." Commonly called a "double coconut",
it is not a coconut but grows on a fan-leaf |
| palm with the two sexes on different trees. The
"female" trees do not bear until they are |
| more than 100 years old. After germination, it
takes about 7 to 10 years the first leaf to |
| appear. Coco-de-mer is also said to be a powerful
aphrodisiac. |
| In the past, the fronds of the coco de mer palm
were used to make thatch roofs, the jelly |
| inside the seed was considered a delicacy and
the hard shell was carved into bowls and |
| spoons. Many myths are associated with this giant
nut. According to local folklore, the |
| male palm moves across at night to the female
palm to mate; anyone, according to |
| legend, who sees the palms mating, will die -
a strong disincentive to voyeurs! |
