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Mary's Bean
Merremia discoidesperma

The Mary's Bean (aka Crucifixion Bean or Crucifix Bean) grows in just a few areas of tropical America, particularly forests of Guatemala.
This bean holds the record for the longest recorded drift: 15,000 miles.

Size is 20 - 30 mm. in diameter, 15 - 20 mm. thick, with a hard lustrous surface, black to brown or intergrades between the two colors.
One side has two grooves (the hilum) forming a cross.
It is this mark that gives the bean the name "Crucifix Bean" and why the bean has a deep religious significance for some who find it.


Links
The Fabulous Mary's Bean - A "Wayne's Word" website
An article in "BeachCombers Alert" - open page and find: "Merremia"
A record of drift to Porthcothan Beach on the north Cornish coast
Epitaph Seeds from Hurricane Mitch - by Curtis C. Ebbesmeyer

References
Austin, D. 1995. Merremia discoidesperma (Convolvulaceae) seeds as medicines in Mexico.
Econ. Bot. 49(3): 330-332.


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A Sea-Bean Guide:  Mary's Bean
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