This is a list of tropical drift seeds that I have found on the beach, mostly in Miami Beach. It is quite possible that I have misidentified some.
Andira inermis
Common name(s): Cabbagebark
Astrocaryum sp.
Common name(s): Starnut palm
Caesalpinia bonduc
Common name(s): Gray nickernut, Gray nickerbean
Notes: I've also seen it spelled nickarnut, with an A.
Canavalia rosea
Common name(s): Bay bean, Beach pea
Calophyllum sp.
Common name(s): Laurelwood(?)
Casuarina equisetifolia
Common name(s): Australian pine
Chrysobalanus icaco L.
Common name(s): Coco-Plum
Notes: This plant is found abundantly in Miami Beach.
One of the seeds I found washed up on the beach, but one is from a fruit I
picked. Any of these found on Miami Beach are nearly sure to be local.
Cocoloba uvifera
Common name(s): Sea grape
Dioclea ssp.
Common name(s): Sea purse
Notes: The image may reflect a couple species of the genus Dioclea. I'm not even 100% sure the light colored one in the middle is of genus Dioclea.
Entada gigas
Common name(s): Sea heart
Fevillea cordifolia
Common name(s): Antidote vine
Hernandia nymphaeifolia
Common name(s): Lantern tree
Hevea brasiliensis
Common name(s): Rubber tree
Hippomane mancinella
Common name(s): Manchineel
Ipomoea alba
Common name(s): Moonflower
Ipomoea pes-caprae
Common name(s): Railroad vine
Note: This is one of the few seeds I have which I
can say I've verified at the source. The seed to the left of the penny was
found randomly while beachcombing Miami Beach. The seeds to the right of the
penny I collected on land in South Pointe Park, adjacent to the beach, growing
on the rocks on Government Cut. The seed on the right which is hairless is one
I scraped clean to see what was below. The seed on the left probably
originated from the plants on Goverment Cut. In the
morning glory family.
Juglans (?)
Common name(s): Jamaica walnut(?)
I found a few references and similar images online calling this seed a "Jamaica walnut" or "Tropical walnut", but I think this is a case of misusing common names. I don't think this is what most people seem to be calling a Jamaica Walnut. Morphologically it is very similar to the Juglans neotropica above, but the color is radically different leading me to believe it is of another species.
Juglans neotropica
Common name(s): Tropical walnut
Note: This identification is a best guess at the moment, based on what I could find. The seed on the top right, which we see the bottom of, is actually longer and more pointed than the other two. It could be a separate species. However it seems pretty sure that they are all 3 of genus Juglans, though. See references.
Juglans nigra
Common name(s): Black walnut
Note: These two seeds are slightly different, but close enough that they are easily the same species, having just spent different amounts of time in the water, and also accounting for natural and normal differences in seeds of the same species.
Lecythidaceae
Common name(s): Anchovy Pear
Manicaria saccifera
Common name(s): Sea coconut, Golfball
Mucuna fawcettii
Common name(s): ??
Note: "Thick-banded" mucuna
Mucuna sloanei
Common name(s): Brown hamburger bean, True sea bean
Mucuna urens
Common name(s): Red hamburger bean
Omphalea diandra
Common name(s): Jamaican naval spurge
Oxyrhynchus trinervius
Common name(s): Little marble
Note: I'm not 100% sure about this identification. My seeds have two flat spots on each side, and have distinct, deep red coloring upon close inspection. The flat spots could just be age and deformation due to a long time in the water. At the moment Oxyrhynchus trinervius is my best guess.
Phytelephas sp.
Common name(s): Ivory palm, Ivory-nut palm
Pterocarpus officinalis
Common name(s): Bloodwood, Dragon's blood tree
Pongamia pinnata
Common name(s): Cat's eye
Poupartia amazonica
Common name(s): Black sea-biscuit
Sacoglottis amazonica
Common name(s): Blister pod, Grenade pod
Sapindus saponaria
Common name(s): Soapberry
Scaevola taccada
Common name(s): White Inkberry
Notes: This plant is found abunantly in Miami Beach,
both along Government Cut and also in the dunes. Any seeds found in Miami
Beach are surely from this general vicinity.
Terminalia catappa
Common name(s): Tropical almond
Thespesia populnea
Common name(s): Seaside mahoe
Ximenia americana
Common name(s): Tallownut, tallowwood, hog plum
Note: This seeds looks just like some of the ones in the
photo for
Ximenia americana in the book
Sea-Beans from the Tropics, yet what confuses me is that
they claim it can be confused with the Laurelwood, but I
don't see many similarities, unless these seeds come in
a diverse range of shape with some even being round.
However, they describe the seed as "ovoid" and also as
"2cm long and 1.5cm wide". All Laurelwood seeds I've
seen are nearly perfectly round.
