Entada gigas

Name and publication

Entada gigas (L.) Fawc. & Rendle, Fl. Jamaica 4: 124 (1920).

Description

Seeds of the sea heart, sea bean, nickar nut, Mackay bean, or monkey ladder vine are sometimes found in potpourri. The pod of this species may be 1-2 m long before it breaks apart into 15 or more one-seeded compartments, each bearing a shiny, dark brown sea heart, 3-5 cm wide.

Nativity and distribution

Entada gigas is found in the tropics from Africa to South America because of the ease of transport of the seeds in ocean currents.

Family

Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae), also placed in Mimosaceae

Synonymy

Mimosa gigas L.