Glider Seed
Seed of Javan Cucumber - Alsomitra macrocarpa. They are called 'Gliders' with 2 lateral wings that resemble the wings of an airplane. They become airborne when released from their fruit and sail through the air like a true glider. The plant bears football-sized gourds hang from the vine high in the forest canopy, each packed with hundreds of winged seeds. The seeds have two papery, membranous wings, with combined wingspans of up to 13 cm. They reportedly inspired the wing design of some early aircraft, gliders and kites. Although the seeds vary in shape, some of the most symmetrical ones superficially resemble the shape of the "flying wing" aircraft or a modern Stealth Bomber.
''Alsomitra macrocarpa'' or ''Javan cucumber'' is a gourd-bearing liane, belonging to the pumpkin family from the tropical Asian forests of the Malay Archipelago and the Indonesian islands. ''Alsomitra'' is a genus of 12 species of vines found in Southeast Asia, Australia and South America.
The fruits or pepos are also remarkable in that they are football-sized and bell-shaped, suspended high in the forest canopy, and densely packed with large numbers of papery winged seeds, falling from.. more
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