Beauties (and Freaks)

The Coco de Mer also has a fairly unique way of growing. Most palm trees are flexible and can bend to protect themselves against the high winds that occur in the tropics. The Coco de Mer is inflexible so the rigid trunk grows on a saucer shaped base and its roots grow through, and around , the saucer. This allows the tree to rock and pivot in the base.

The tree growing in its base



A dead base - the dead tree rots quite quickly but the base can remain for years



This is one of the 'seeds' that I found under some large leaves - it was approx 14kg. There are some very hefty fines for taking the seeds away and the islanders are not allowed to pick them for food.



Even such large seeds can be 'lost' under dead leaves when they're this size

 

What appears to be mud around the base of the tree (above the roots) is, I think, exactly that. It appeared to be so when I stuck my finger into it.

 

I've got a feeling that the rain washes a lot of muck and organic matter down the tree and it seeps into the bowl at the base. I guess that then gets ground to a pulp by the movement of the tree and acts as a lubricant to facilitate easy movement during winds. The roots may even draw things upwards through the holes by some form of capillary action.

All total speculation!!!