Seychelles palm , or Lodoitseya - monotype genus of the family of Palm . The only species is Lodoicea maldivica . This relict species is found on the hillsides and in the valleys on two ancient granite islands - Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles archipelago. The areas where the Seychelles palm grows have been declared reserves . The Seychelles palm has the largest seeds of all plants. Depicted on the coat of arms of the Seychelles
A tall, slow-growing palm tree 25–34 m high. The bulbous base of the Seychelles palm sits in a bowl about 80 cm in diameter and up to 0.5 m deep. oval holes, which end in tubes from the outside - through them the roots penetrate into the ground without attaching to the bowl. Such nests are durable and last for centuries. This tree forms ear-shaped male inflorescences 1–2 m long. Small male flowers in bunches of 20–30 are immersed in pits on the inflorescence axis. The flowers of each hole do not open at the same time, so the flowering of the plant lasts 8-10 years. Large fruitweighing 13-18 kg matures for 7-10 years. Fibrous mesocarp (no more than 2.5 cm thick) covers a 2-lobed "bone" containing a large 2-lobed seed . Some fruits have 2 or sometimes 3 seeds and weigh over 45 kg. The jelly-like endosperm of immature seeds hardens over time. The seed takes 1–1.5 years to germinate. A young plant receives nutrients from the endosperm for 3-4 years.
