The Lodoicea maldivica is a dioecious plant. Dioecious means having male and female reproductive structures in each individual plant, while monoecious plants have both male and female reproductive parts in the same individual. One of the largest species, Lodoicea maldivica is native to the tropical and subtropical monsoon zones of South India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It prefers sandy to pebbly or gravel soils in freshwater and marine habitats and grows up to 3 meters tall. It fruits annually and the seeds are typically dispersed by the wind, not by animals.
This plant has evolved several adaptations to survive in very dry habitats, such as underground buds that can grow and mature before they have the opportunity to be dispersed. The flower head is a globular cluster of long-tubed flowers, each of which have three stamens and three stigma. The style resembles a small spine. The flower bud resembles the head of a coconut with the two end lobes removed. The flower head is enclosed in a long tube shaped like a coconut shell and at the far end has a hard, globous”
