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Have you ever heard of coconut de sea? Although it is called a coconut, it is a monotypic genus of the palm family (Arecaceae). Sea coconut trees only grow on Praslin and Curieus islands in Seychelles. The weight of the seeds can reach 10 to 20 kilograms or more. It is the largest and heaviest seed in the plant kingdom. There is a groove in the center of the sea coconut. Just like two coconuts put together, the shape is similar to a heart shape, and it also resembles a woman's buttocks, so it is also called "love fruit", "hip-shaped coconut" or "double coconut".
The Discovery of Coconut de Sea
The scientific name of sea coconut is Lodoicea maldivica, and its seeds were first discovered by Europeans in the sixteenth century, when they found these huge and strange fruits on the beaches of Maldives, India and Sri Lanka. Because they don't know their origin, people speculate that they may come from the plants of the seabed, so they have the alias of "sea coconut" or "Maldives coconut". The native habitat of coconut de sea is found on the island of Curieus.
Characteristics of sea coconut
Coconut de sea is a dioeciousPalm family (Arecaceae)Plants with straight trunks up to 30 meters in height and 30 cm in diameter. The leaves are fan-shaped, about 4-7 meters long and 2-4 meters wide. The male flower of the male plant is similar to the male reproductive organ, about one meter long, and the spadix is covered with small yellow flowers. It takes 2-3 years for the flower of the female plant to germinate and bear fruit after pollination, and it will mature after 7-12 years , will naturally drop from the tree when mature. The fruit of sea coconut (such as the first picture in the article) has a hard outer shell, which wraps seeds and pulp. The fruit of the sea coconut tree is very huge, the length can reach 40 to 50 cm, and the weight can reach 10 to 20 kg or more.Its seeds are also the largest and heaviest in the plant kingdom, weighing up to 90% of the fruit.
The life span of sea coconut is as long as 120 years, and the growth rate is extremely slow. It takes a long time for the seeds to germinate, about 2 to 3 years, and it takes 25 to 40 years to grow into a tree and bloom. Due to the slow growth of coconut palms, difficulty in reproduction, and the fact that they can only inhabit specific areas, the number is very rare. In 2011, the sea coconut was listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). At the same time, the Seychelles government also stipulated that a maximum of 2,000 sea coconut seeds could be harvested a year, and the export of the whole fruit was prohibited to protect and Prevent the extinction of coco de mer.
Reasons why coconut de sea is endangered
- Overexploitation: Due to the special shape of coconut sea coconut fruit, the fruit and seeds have edible and ornamental value, can be used as sweets, wine making, making handicrafts, etc., and the trunk can also be used as building materials. The number of coconuts has plummeted.
- growth rate is too slow: Coco de sea is a slow growing plant, they take decades to mature and start multiplying. This slow growth limits the rate at which the coco de mer population can grow, making it more vulnerable to overexploitation.
- limited growing environment: Sea coconuts mainly grow in this specific geographical area of the Seychelles, and only specific soil and climate conditions are suitable for the growth of sea coconuts, which limits their distribution range and quantity.
- climate and environmental change: Climate change and human activities have put pressure on the living environment of the coco de mer, rising sea levels and other extreme weather events may pose a threat to the coco de mer population. Anthropogenic factors such as habitat destruction, land development and pollution may also negatively affect the survival and reproduction of coco de mer.
Current conservation measures for coconut de sea
- Establishment of nature reserves: The Seychelles government established the May Valley Nature Reserve (Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve) and the Curieuse Marine National Park (Curieuse Marine National Park) on Praslin Island and Curieuse Island to protect The main habitat of coconut de sea, both protected areas are currently listed as World Natural Heritage by UNESCO.
- artificial breeding: Sea coconut seedling gardens have been set up in the protected area to carry out artificial seed collection, germination and cultivation to increase the number and genetic diversity of sea coconuts. At the same time, the government of Seychelles also transfers the seeds or saplings of sea coconuts to other islands for restoration or introduction, so as to expand the distribution range of sea coconuts.
- Legal Regulations and Export Restrictions: Police stations and surveillance systems have been set up in the protected area to prevent illegal picking or stealing of coconut palm fruit or seeds. At the same time, the Seychelles government has also strengthened the export and trade control of sea coconuts. Only sea coconuts approved by the government can be exported or traded, and special trade labels are also marked to prove their export legality.
- raise public awareness: Raising awareness of the importance and conservation of coconut de sea among Seychellois and foreign tourists through education and outreach. At the same time, the Seychelles government also encourages local people to participate in the protection and management of sea coconuts so that they can benefit from it.
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Introduction of sea coconut (Lodoicea maldivica)
References
1. Lodoicea– Wikipedia
2. sea coconut
3. Reporter Laihong: The "Love Fruit" Dedicated to Prince William
4. Emma J Morgan, Christopher N Kaiser-Bunbury, Peter J Edwards, Mathias Scharmann, Alex Widmer, Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, Chris J Kettle, Identification of sex-linked markers in the sexually cryptic coco de mer: are males and females produced in equal proportions? AoB PLANTS, Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2020.
5. The pictures in the article are all from the CC0 free gallery.
