Sea Purse
Dioclea species
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A flat, dark, purse-shaped seed with a long pale hilum running around its edge.
- Typical size
- 1–1.5 in
- How often it turns up
- Fairly common
- Collecting
- Usually legal to collect
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Drift seeds are free to collect.
How to tell it apart
- Flattened disc shape
- Dark brown with a pale band (hilum) around most of the rim
- Smooth, hard surface
Found one?
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Commonly confused with
Hamburger BeanMucuna species
Sea purses often have a flatter top and a sharper, projecting edge where the hilum sits; hamburger beans are usually more rounded there. Shapes vary, so check more than one feature.
More sea beans in the field guide
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