This is a massive solitary palm with a stout, columnar trunk that may reach 25–30 m (82–98 ft) in height and is crowned by one of the most spectacular leaf displays in the palm world. Its gigantic costapalmate leaves can exceed 10 m (33 ft) in length and create a dramatic canopy of deep green, fan-shaped blades with thick, rigid petioles. The species produces large inflorescences, with male palms bearing extremely long flower spikes, while female palms develop shorter inflorescences that produce enormous fruits. The famous fruit—the double coconut or coco de mer—is the largest seed in the plant kingdom and may weigh up to 20–30 kg (44–66 lb), often taking six to seven years to mature. While not commercially available, the edible fruit has a sweet, milky flavor.  The palm is extremely slow growing and endemic to the Seychelles, where it forms legendary groves in protected forests on the islands of Praslin and Curieuse.  For centuries the giant seeds of this palm mysteriously washed ashore on distant islands and along the coasts of India and the Maldives, long before Europeans discovered the Seychelles. Because no one knew where they originated, the nuts were believed to grow on a mythical underwater tree, giving rise to the name “coco de mer” — coconut of the sea.