Why is the sea coconut (coco de mer) considered the largest seed in the world?
Sea coconut grows on palm trees found only in the Seychelles and the Maldives, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean.
The sea coconut is sometimes called the "double coconut" because it looks like two coconuts joined together. The name 'sea coconut' comes from the fact that some of these coconuts often fall from palms in the ocean and are transported by sea currents to distant shores.
Seychelles coconuts take about ten years to mature and can measure 45 cm long when at their peak. Since each coconut contains only one seed, some scientists consider the coconut itself to be a seed.
This makes the sea coconut the largest seed on Earth. These "double coconuts" can weigh more than 20 kilos, and some have weighed as much as 25 kilograms!
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