Object Status:
Unlocated
Accession Date:
August 1, 1811
Primary Source Reference:
Peale Museum Accessions Book, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, p. 55
Notes:
What was once called the Maldive coconut is now Lodoicea maldivica, or sea coconut, so called because it was believed by many to grow on a mythical tree rooted in the sea floor.
The donor, John Ansey (1769-1822), was a Philadelphia sea captain in the East Indies and China trade. James Peale painted his portrait in 1801.
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Sea cocoanut
Current Scientific Name
Lodoicea maldivica
