Largest seeds, winged seeds

The largest winged seeds are those of the climbing gourd Alsomitra macrocarpa, which is native to Indonesia’s Sunda Islands. Up to 13 cm (5 in) wide, with a pair of papery wing membranes, these seeds are packed together in their hundreds within the plant’s football-sized, club-shaped gourds, which in turn hang down from a vine high in the forest canopy. Intriguingly, these seeds closely resemble the shape of a modern Stealth Bomber aircraft, and become airborne like miniature gliders when released from the gourds.