Family: Cucurbitaceae
Scientific name: Alsomitra macrocarpa
Common name: Javan cucumber
Origin: Indonesia

The winged seeds of the Javanese cucumber are the largest floating seeds in the world. By hovering like a butterfly, they can bridge enormous distances, which is why they are even found on the decks of ships. Even without wind in a rainforest the seeds can be spread. The species is featured in the BBC documentary Life and drew the attention of several scientists who study aerodynamics and aircraft movements. The plant grows as a vine and belongs to the gourd family. The fruits are as big as a football, which is already quite remarkable on its own.

Sowing description: Basically it’s a shame to sow these seeds, because they are so beautiful but if you’d like to anyway: cover the seeds very lightly with sowing soil. Keep them moist at 20-25° Celsius. 

Sowing time: Whole year
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: 12 degrees Celsius

Photo 2: From BBC documentairy Life: Plants