Alsomitra macrocarpa
Short answer: Alsomitra macrocarpa, sometimes called the Javan cucumber and formerly named Zanonia macrocarpa, is a climbing gourd of the Malesian forests, notably Indonesia's Sunda Islands. Its football-sized fruits hang high in the canopy and hold hundreds of seeds.
Each seed is set in two papery wing membranes spanning about 13 cm, which Guinness lists as the world's largest winged seeds. When released, the seeds glide in a gently undulating flight called a phugoid. In 1897 the German professor Friedrich Ahlborn studied the seed's self-stabilizing shape. That work inspired Igo Etrich's 1904 tailless glider and, through it, the wing of the Etrich Taube, which first flew in 1910.
What should you know about Alsomitra macrocarpa?
Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.
Alsomitra's winged seeds span about 13 cm, the largest winged seeds on record.
The seed's shape inspired Igo Etrich's gliders and the Etrich Taube aircraft.
Video transcript: Alsomitra Macrocarpa: The Javan Cucumber's Seed Flies Like a Tiny Glider
DID YOU KNOW? Alsomitra macrocarpa is a tropical climbing plant native to Southeast Asia that produces one of the most remarkable seeds in the plant kingdom. Each seed is equipped with a pair of thin, papery wings that form a highly efficient glider, allowing it to travel long distances on air currents after being released from the plant's large, gourd-like fruit. Unlike many winged seeds that simply spin or flutter, the seed of Alsomitra macrocarpa maintains stable, aircraft-like flight, and can glide hundreds of meters under favorable conditions. NOW YOU KNOW!
Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 26.7s Reel ·
The write-up
The Javan cucumber's seed flies like a tiny glider. Its 13 cm winged seed inspired early aircraft designers.
- Exhibit A
The plant
Alsomitra macrocarpa is a vine in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). Its football-sized fruits hang high in the forest canopy, each packed with hundreds of winged seeds.
- Exhibit B
The seed
The seed sits along the leading edge of two flat, papery wing membranes with a combined span of about 13 cm. Guinness lists them as the world's largest winged seeds. As they dry, the trailing edge curls slightly upward, which helps stabilize the glide.
- Exhibit C
How it flies
The seed glides in a gentle, undulating path: it gains height, stalls, dips and speeds up again, a pattern called phugoid oscillation. It's stable in pitch and roll but not in direction.
- Exhibit D
From seed to aircraft
Friedrich Ahlborn's 1897 booklet held up the seed as a model of self-stability. Igo Etrich and Franz Wels got a seed from Ahlborn in 1904 and built a tailless 'Zanonia' glider, which reportedly flew about 500 m (1,640 ft).
- Exhibit E
The Taube
Etrich's later Taube (1909 design, first flight 1910) put a Zanonia-style wing on a conventional fuselage with a tail. It went on to serve as an early military aircraft.
Questions people ask about Alsomitra macrocarpa
About how wide is an Alsomitra seed's wingspan?
About 13 cm, the largest winged seeds on record.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The plant) · Wikipedia: Alsomitra macrocarpa; Guinness World Records: Largest seeds, winged seeds
Which early aircraft's wing was modeled on the seed?
The Etrich Taube.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The seed) · Guinness World Records: Largest seeds, winged seeds; Wikipedia: Alsomitra macrocarpa
What was the plant's former genus name?
Zanonia macrocarpa.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (From seed to aircraft) · HistoryNet: Inspired by a Seed, an Austrian Designer Developed a Family of Airplanes; Monash University, Flying Wings anthology: Igo Etrich (1879-1967)
What's the seed's undulating glide called?
It rises, stalls, dips and speeds up again.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (How it flies) · Wikipedia: Alsomitra macrocarpa
What plant family does Alsomitra belong to?
Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The plant) · Wikipedia: Alsomitra macrocarpa; Guinness World Records: Largest seeds, winged seeds
Test Your Knowledge
All quizzes →5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.
About how wide is an Alsomitra seed's wingspan?
- 1 cm
- 13 cm
- 50 cm
- 1 m
Show the answer
Answer: B. 13 cm About 13 cm, the largest winged seeds on record. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The plant) · Wikipedia: Alsomitra macrocarpa; Guinness World Records: Largest seeds, winged seeds
Which early aircraft's wing was modeled on the seed?
- Etrich Taube
- Wright Flyer
- Spirit of St. Louis
- Sopwith Camel
Show the answer
Answer: A. Etrich Taube The Etrich Taube. Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The seed) · Guinness World Records: Largest seeds, winged seeds; Wikipedia: Alsomitra macrocarpa
What was the plant's former genus name?
- Zanonia
- Acer
- Quercus
- Ficus
Show the answer
Answer: A. Zanonia Zanonia macrocarpa. Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (From seed to aircraft) · HistoryNet: Inspired by a Seed, an Austrian Designer Developed a Family of Airplanes; Monash University, Flying Wings anthology: Igo Etrich (1879-1967)
What's the seed's undulating glide called?
- Phugoid oscillation
- Autorotation
- Ballooning
- Flapping
Show the answer
Answer: A. Phugoid oscillation It rises, stalls, dips and speeds up again. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (How it flies) · Wikipedia: Alsomitra macrocarpa
What plant family does Alsomitra belong to?
- Gourd family
- Rose family
- Grass family
- Pine family
Show the answer
Answer: A. Gourd family Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The plant) · Wikipedia: Alsomitra macrocarpa; Guinness World Records: Largest seeds, winged seeds
Cite this case file
Easterling, Marcus. "Alsomitra macrocarpa." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-721, last updated Jun 3, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/alsomitra-macrocarpa/
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