Details

LOT 2356

Madagascan Giant Monkey Ladder Sea Bean

31 1/8 in. (419 grams, 79 cm).

A very large Entada gigas or sea bean pod, containing nine separate sea bean segments; rare. [No Reserve]

Provenance

From Madagascar.
Ex private Shropshire, UK collection.

Footnotes

Entada gigas, the ‘sea bean’ or ‘monkey ladder vine’ is a flowering liana in the Fabaceae pea family. The plant has the longest seed pods in the family, as well as the largest seeds, which can float for miles along sea currents, being washed up on beaches around the world. The seed pod segments snap off, dropping into the river below. The pod segment will quickly rot, revealing the seed or ‘sea bean’ inside. The seed contains a sealed pocket of air, which enables it to float. It can survive for up to two years at sea, and actually requires prolonged exposure to water in order to germinate. Some of these seeds will find their way into the major sea currents, such as the Gulf Stream, and end up washed up on coasts around the world.