TROPICAL INDIAN OCEANIC ISLANDS
Tropical Moist Forest

The tiny pockets of rainforest of the small tropical and subtropical islands of the Indian Ocean...

Lodoicea spp.,'Coco-de-mer'

The most famous botanical symbol of the Indian Ocean islands is the Lodoicea maldivica, 'Coco-de-mer'. It is only found in a few valleys on the granitic islands of the Seychelles. Both the scientific name and common name are misnomers. It gained it's scientific name as it was first found on the Maldives, where the non viable fruits washed up. The origin of the plant was a mystery; at first it was theorised to grow under the sea, and thus the common name. The coco-de-mer produces the heaviest natural fruit in the world (farmed watermelons are heavier). It is a classic example of island gigantism.