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.
Other recorded largest seeds include: [6]
Seed | Image | Species | Family | Size in inches | Size in cm | Weight | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coco de mer | Lodoicea maldivica | 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 | 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 | 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 | Palm family ( Arecaceae or Palmae) |
2.2 lbs (1 kg) [11] | ||||
African Palmyra | Borassus aethiopum | 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 | Palm family ( Arecaceae or Palmae) |
4.5 inch sphere | 11 cm sphere | 1 lb. 4 oz (560 grams) [13] | ||
Muli | Melocanna baccifera | 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 | 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 | Tea or Camellia family ( Theaceae) |
4 in sphere. | 10 cm sphere. | 7 oz (200 grams) | ||
Bornean ironwood, Belian var. "Tanduk" | Eusideroxylon zwageri variety exilis |
Laurel family ( Lauraceae) |
6.3 in by 2 in diam. | 160 mm by 5 cm diam. [19] | |||
Pohon Kira-kira | Xylocarpus granatum |
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 | 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 | Spicebush family ( Calycanthaceae) |
3.1 in sphere. | 8 cm sphere. [22] | 7.9 oz. (225 grams) [23] | Very poisonous. | |
"Capucin". | Northia seychellana | Sapote Family ( Sapotaceae) | 3.1 inches, and nearly as wide3. | 8 centimeters, and nearly as wide. [24] | weight not stated | ||
Avocado | Persea americana | Laurel family ( Lauraceae) |
3 in | 7.6 cm | |||
Chuya | Pouteria speciosa | Sapote family ( Sapotaceae) | 3.5 in long by 2.4 in thick. | 90 mm long by 60 mm thick. [25] | |||
Boko tree | Balanites wilsoniana | Balanitaceae | 3.46 in by 1.81 in diameter. | 8.8 cm by 4.7 cm diameter. [26] | |||
Pacó | Grias tessmannii | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) |
3.2 in by 2.5 in. [27] | 8 cm by 6.5 cm. | |||
Cativo | Prioria copaifera | Senna family ( Caesalpinaceae) |
Up to six ounces (170 grams) [28] | ||||
California buckeye | Aesculus californica | Horse chestnut family ( Hippocastanaceae) | 2.88 in width, 2.63 in breadth and 2.13 in height. [29] | 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, Guiana chestnut | Pachira aquatica | Kapok family ( Bombcaceae) | Squarish seeds to 2.4 inches on a side. | Squarish seeds to 6.1 cm. on a side. [30] | |||
Elephant Creeper. | Entada phaseoloides | Mimosa family ( Mimosaceae) |
2.8 in by 2.4 in by 1.0 in. | 71 mm by 61 mm by 25 mm. [31] | 2.1 oz. (60 grams) | ||
Tauari | Couratari macrosperma | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) |
3.9 inches by 1.2 inches. [32] | 10 cm by 3 cm. | |||
Membrillo | Gustavia dodsonii | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) |
2.9 inches by 2,25 inches. | 74 mm by 58 mm. [33] | |||
(no common name) | Macrozamia macdonnellii | Coontie family ( Zamiaceae) |
3.2 inches by 2.2 inches. | 8 cm by 5.5 cm. [34] | The largest of all Gymnosperm seeds. | ||
Also called Tauari | Couratari longipedicellata | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) | Four inches long by 0.9 inches wide. | 9.5 cm long by 2.3 cm wide. [35] | |||
(no common name) | Grias multinervia | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) |
3 inches by 1.17 inches. [36] | 77 mm by 30 mm. | |||
Fatra | Cycas thouarsii | Sago palm family ( Cycadaceae) |
2.75 inches by 2.3 inches. | 7 cm by 6 cm. [37] | 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). [38] | ||
Mango | Mangifera indica | Sumac family ( Anacardiaceae) |
2-4 inches | ||||
Peach | Prunus persica | Rose family ( Rosaceae) |
2 inches | 3 cm |
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.
Other recorded largest seeds include: [6]
Seed | Image | Species | Family | Size in inches | Size in cm | Weight | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coco de mer | Lodoicea maldivica | 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 | 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 | 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 | Palm family ( Arecaceae or Palmae) |
2.2 lbs (1 kg) [11] | ||||
African Palmyra | Borassus aethiopum | 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 | Palm family ( Arecaceae or Palmae) |
4.5 inch sphere | 11 cm sphere | 1 lb. 4 oz (560 grams) [13] | ||
Muli | Melocanna baccifera | 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 | 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 | Tea or Camellia family ( Theaceae) |
4 in sphere. | 10 cm sphere. | 7 oz (200 grams) | ||
Bornean ironwood, Belian var. "Tanduk" | Eusideroxylon zwageri variety exilis |
Laurel family ( Lauraceae) |
6.3 in by 2 in diam. | 160 mm by 5 cm diam. [19] | |||
Pohon Kira-kira | Xylocarpus granatum |
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 | 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 | Spicebush family ( Calycanthaceae) |
3.1 in sphere. | 8 cm sphere. [22] | 7.9 oz. (225 grams) [23] | Very poisonous. | |
"Capucin". | Northia seychellana | Sapote Family ( Sapotaceae) | 3.1 inches, and nearly as wide3. | 8 centimeters, and nearly as wide. [24] | weight not stated | ||
Avocado | Persea americana | Laurel family ( Lauraceae) |
3 in | 7.6 cm | |||
Chuya | Pouteria speciosa | Sapote family ( Sapotaceae) | 3.5 in long by 2.4 in thick. | 90 mm long by 60 mm thick. [25] | |||
Boko tree | Balanites wilsoniana | Balanitaceae | 3.46 in by 1.81 in diameter. | 8.8 cm by 4.7 cm diameter. [26] | |||
Pacó | Grias tessmannii | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) |
3.2 in by 2.5 in. [27] | 8 cm by 6.5 cm. | |||
Cativo | Prioria copaifera | Senna family ( Caesalpinaceae) |
Up to six ounces (170 grams) [28] | ||||
California buckeye | Aesculus californica | Horse chestnut family ( Hippocastanaceae) | 2.88 in width, 2.63 in breadth and 2.13 in height. [29] | 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, Guiana chestnut | Pachira aquatica | Kapok family ( Bombcaceae) | Squarish seeds to 2.4 inches on a side. | Squarish seeds to 6.1 cm. on a side. [30] | |||
Elephant Creeper. | Entada phaseoloides | Mimosa family ( Mimosaceae) |
2.8 in by 2.4 in by 1.0 in. | 71 mm by 61 mm by 25 mm. [31] | 2.1 oz. (60 grams) | ||
Tauari | Couratari macrosperma | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) |
3.9 inches by 1.2 inches. [32] | 10 cm by 3 cm. | |||
Membrillo | Gustavia dodsonii | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) |
2.9 inches by 2,25 inches. | 74 mm by 58 mm. [33] | |||
(no common name) | Macrozamia macdonnellii | Coontie family ( Zamiaceae) |
3.2 inches by 2.2 inches. | 8 cm by 5.5 cm. [34] | The largest of all Gymnosperm seeds. | ||
Also called Tauari | Couratari longipedicellata | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) | Four inches long by 0.9 inches wide. | 9.5 cm long by 2.3 cm wide. [35] | |||
(no common name) | Grias multinervia | Monkeypot family ( Lecythidaceae) |
3 inches by 1.17 inches. [36] | 77 mm by 30 mm. | |||
Fatra | Cycas thouarsii | Sago palm family ( Cycadaceae) |
2.75 inches by 2.3 inches. | 7 cm by 6 cm. [37] | 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). [38] | ||
Mango | Mangifera indica | Sumac family ( Anacardiaceae) |
2-4 inches | ||||
Peach | Prunus persica | Rose family ( Rosaceae) |
2 inches | 3 cm |