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Books on Sea-Beans

The following books contain information about Sea-Beans and Drift Seeds

Helpful books for sea-bean identification

Australia

Netherlands

South Africa

NE Atlantic

Hawaii

World!

Great Britain

Seychelles

Southeastern USA & Caribbean

  • 1906 Observations of a naturalist in the Pacific between 1896 and 1899
  • 1917 Plants, Seeds and Currents in the West Indies and Azores
  • 1937 The Seed-drift of South Africa and some influence of ocean currents on the strand vegetation.
    - original edition; reprinted in 2004
  • 1973 COCO DE MER the Romance of a Palm - 3rd edition, reprinted again in 1986
  • 1976 World Guide to Tropical Drift Seeds and Fruits - original edition; reprinted in 1999
  • 1986 COCO DE MER the Romance of a Palm - reprint of the 1973 edition
  • 1995 The Nature of Florida's Beaches.
  • 1999 Australian Driftseeds *
  • 1999 World Guide to Tropical Drift Seeds and Fruits - reprint of the 1976 edition
  • 2000 Hawaii's Seeds and Seed Leis: an Identification Guide
  • 2000 The Little Book of Sea-Beans and Other Beach Treasures. - 7th printing, 2014 *
  • 2000 Sea Beans and Nickar Nuts
  • 2003 Sea-Beans from the Tropics: A Collector's Guide to Sea-Beans and other Tropical Drift on Atlantic Shores
  • 2004 The Seed-drift of South Africa and some influence of ocean currents on the strand vegetation.
  • - reprint of the 1937 edition
  • 2005 Tropical Driftseeds of the Netherlands
  • 2007 Florida's Living Beaches: A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber
  • 2024 Sea Bean: A Beachcomber's Search for a Magical Charm ― A Memoir - available Nov. 2024ß

  • * Indicates that the book can be requested directly through this website.
    See also: Journal & Magazine Articles on Sea-Beans


    "A Beachcomber's Search for a Magical Charm; Sea Bean; A Memoir"
    by Sally Huband



    This book, regarding seabeaning in Great Britain, will be available on Amazon on November 5, 2024.

    "Florida's Living Beaches: A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber"
    by Blair and Dawn Witherington


    Florida's Living Beaches:
    A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber


    This 326-page, cross between hardcover and softcover book was printed in 2007.
    Published by Pineapple Press, Inc.; P.O. Box 3889; Sarasota, Florida 34230
    ISBN 978-1-56164-386-8

    The book is about 6 X 9 inches in size.
    The cover and interior pages are printed on high quality semigloss paper.

    The book is jam-packed with full color, superb photos on every page except the introduction and index pages. All but a few pages are set up with three color photos depicting three items discussed on that page. The photos are set up on the outside edge, making it easy to flip through the pages and quickly examine a multitude of photos.

    Although the book is filled with a myriad of items you'd find on the beaches, the highlight of the book (strictly from the perspective of this website!) is the excellent coverage of sea-beans from page 244 to page 270.

    Several interior pages can be viewed at Google Books.


    (click book for larger image)

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    "Tropical Driftseeds of the Netherlands"
    by Christophe J.E. Brochard and Gerhard C. Cadee



    (click book for larger image)
    Tropische drijfzaden van de Nederlandse kust
    (Tropical Driftseeds of the Netherlands)

    This 66-page, softcover book was printed in December 2005.
    The book is about 6.75 X 9.50 inches in size.

    The cover and interior pages are printed on high quality paper.
    There is an English abstract on page 2, while the remainder of the book is in Dutch text.

    The bibliography is extensive, spanning pages 42-46.
    Pages 48-63 contain excellent illustrations of 44 species.

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    "Sea-Beans from the Tropics
    A Collector's Guide to Sea-Beans and other Tropical Drift on Atlantic Shores"
    by Ed Perry and John V. Dennis

    This book is available from Krieger Publishing Company

    Designed to compliment the "World Guide", this 232 page book uses color photos for ID, has a greater focus on Atlantic current species, features more species, and shows the results of John's 30 year flotation tests on some species of seeds.

    The book, published in 2003, describes things that drift in the ocean and are carried in with the winds: sea-beans, Spirula, mermaid's purses, and other tropical treasures. This book references them in a convenient form for the beachcomber, while keeping the oceanographer and botanist in mind. Interesting descriptions of each sea-bean species, or other drift treasure, and 175 color photographs make this book a valuable collector's guide. Foreword by Cathie Katz.

    Publisher: Krieger Publishing Company
    Phone Orders: 321-724-9542
    Krieger Book Number 231811      ISBN: 1-57524-181-1

     

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    "Catalog of Seed Plants of the West Indies"
    by Pedro Acevedo-Rodriguez and Mark T. Strong
    This publication is available online, for viewing & download, from the Biodiversity Heritage Library


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    "Sea Beans and Nickar Nuts"  by E. Charles Nelson
    This book may be ordered directly online at Summerfield Books
    for ABOUT 12.50 GBP (United Kingdom Pounds) plus shipping
    (check the Summerfield Books site for pricing)

     
    This book, printed in the year 2000,
    is a handbook of exotic seeds and fruits
    stranded on beaches in north-western Europe.


    Softcover, 156pp.; 5.75 inches by 8.25 inches;
    ISBN: 0-901158-29-1

    Publisher:
    Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI),
    c/o Natural History Museum; Cromwell Road;
    London SW7 5BD



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    "The Little Book of Sea-Beans and Other Beach Treasures"
    by Cathie Katz and Paul Mikkelsen


    For copies, see: How To Request Copies of "LBSB"

    "The Little Book of Sea-Beans and other Beach Treasures" is indeed little: a pocket-size (3.0" x 4.5") beach companion designed to be carried with you as you scour the beaches for beans and whatever you may consider a "treasure". Designed to be "little" to fit in a t-shirt pocket and, more importantly, in the hands of children!

    This is an 80 page softcover book, entirely black and white, with information and illustrations (by Cathie Katz and Pamela Paradine) of about 40 sea-beans and a variety of other "beach treasures"...   those you are most likely to find on semi-tropical shores, particularly of the tropical Western North Atlantic Ocean (i.e., the Caribbean and the southeastern United States).

    Discover the "magic" of sea-beans from Cathie's eyes and learn about ocean currents and how they carry things like sea-beans, toys and shoes! A few of the more common sea life washed ashore is also presented and discussed.



    Softcover, 80pp.;  ISBN: 1-888025-12-3
    Library of Congress Control Number 00-090473
      

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    "Hawaii's Seeds and Seed Leis: an Identification Guide"
    by Laurie Shimizu Ide

    This book is available from Amazon.com for $7.95 plus shipping.

     
    This full-color, glossy, paperback book, © 2000, is not a book on seabeans per se, but rather a book on leis and necklaces that are created in Hawaii. It happens that many of the seeds used for this purpose are the same beans that we know as drift seeds. The book has excellent pictures of the seeds, their plants and flowers as well as brief but very informative text about each seed.


    Softcover, 120pp.; 5.75 inches by 8.50 inches;
    ISBN: 1-56647-338-1

    Publisher: Mutual Publishing,
    1215 Center Street, Suite 210
    Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
    Tel: 808-732-1709; fax: 808-734-4094

    Interview with the author.

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    "The World Guide to Tropical Drift Seeds and Fruits"
    by C.R. Gunn and John V. Dennis;   illustrated by Pamela J. Paradine


    1976 Original
    Demeter Press
    ISBN: 0-8219-0616-0

    1999 Reprint
    Krieger Publishing
    ISBN: 1-57524-147-1
    This book has been considered the "bible" of sea-bean identification and information. The book is 6 X 9 inches, 240 pages, hardbound.

    The original, out of print edition, has a solid lime-green hardcover with an illustrated green and blue dust jacket (see photo, far left).

    The reprint edition has the illustrations printed directly on the hardcover and is available from the publisher:
    Krieger Publishing Company
    Phone Orders: 321-724-9542

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    "Australian Driftseeds"
    by Jeremy M. B. Smith


    1999 Book review , by Bob Gunn (246K pdf)
    From "The Drifting Seed" Newsletter, May 1999, pg. 3.

    Published in 1999

    Softcover, 123pp.; 7 inches by 10 inches;
    ISBN: 1 86389 537 X
    Publisher: School of Human and Environmental Studies
    University of New England
    Armidale, New South Wales; Australia 2351


    I believe that I may be the only source to offer this book NEW for sale!
    A suggested donation of $25.00 plus postage, USD.
    Email me to request a copy.
      

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    "The Nature of Florida's Beaches"
    Written and illustrated by Cathie Katz
    This book is available from Sunburst Books, c/o Chris Wicht.


      This 74-page, softcover, 8½" X 11" book is generally concerned with various aspects of beaches, but it includes 7 pages on Sea-Beans.


    ISBN: 1-888025-07-7
    Published in 1995, the book was to be Cathie's first in a series of four books on "The Nature of Florida"

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    LIONNET, G.   1986.   COCO DE MER the Romance of a Palm
    Ile Maurice: L'ile Aux Images; 95 pg.


    Lionnet, Guy;   1986.   COCO DE MER the Romance of a Palm
    L'ile Aux Images; 96 pg.
    PO Box 775; Bell Village; Ile Maurice

    This book is dedicated entirely to the Coco de Mer palm
    from the Vallee de Mai on Praslin Island, Seychelles.

    The 1986 edition has a color softcover, 6 inches wide by 8.5 inches high.
    ISBN 2.906761.05.2   or  2906761052     ASIN: B0000EHROT
    The 1986 edition is printed on high-gloss paper and is written in both English and French, with an entirely English page opposing a page written entirely in French.

    The vast majority of the phototographs in the 1986 edition are new and of excellent quality in full color, with a few black and white photos reproduced from the 1973 edition. Photographs have captions in both English and French. Included are the male catkins, female inflorescence, mature seeds, and a cross-section of a mature seed!



    The 1973 edition has a black and white softcover,
    has 46 pages and is 6 inches wide by 8 inches high.
    Lionnet, G. (1973). The romance of a palm: coco-de-mer. 3rd ed, Victoria
    This edition is written entirely in English.
    No ISBN is available.


    Covers from three editions:
    1973 black and white edition
    1986 color painting with tree and seed
    1986 color photo with woman and seed

    (If covers do not alternate, refresh this web page.)

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    MUIR, J.   1937.   The Seed-drift of South Africa
    and some Influences of Ocean Currents on the Strand Vegetation.
    Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Afr. 16: 1-108.


     
    Note: above image on the softcover reprint is NOT reproduced in the hardcover reprint edition.
    108+xix pages, 16 pages of photographs, 1 map
    ASIN: B0017801U8

    Reproduced in 2004 by:

    Still Bay Conservation Trust
    P.O. Box 3030
    Stellenbosch 7599;   South Africa
    Still Bay Conservation Trust
    De Waalstraat 14
    Paarl 7646;   South Africa
    Tel: 021 8631226
    Fax: 021 8632638
    It is strongly suggested to first establish contact and communication with
    Still Bay Conservation Trust, then make your purchase!


    There is a soft-cover edition
    as well as a special hard-cover edition.

    The book description and order form is available
    in HTML format as well as Adobe PDF format.



    NOTE: Copies of this book are available only from
    Still Bay Conservation Trust



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    "Plants, Seeds and Currents in the West Indies and Azores:
    results of investigations carried out in those regions between 1906 and 1914."
    by Henry Brougham Guppy


               
    Guppy, H.B. 1917. Plants, seeds, and currents in the West Indies and Azores:
    the results of investigations carried out in those regions between 1906 and 1914.

    Covent Garden; London, England;
    Williams and Norgate

    xi, 531 pp., 4 leaves of plates, ill., 3 maps (1 folded); 24 cm.

    See: Table of Contents online.

    Guppy, Henry Brougham (England 1854-1926) (biography)

    The book is available online at the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL)


    Frontispiece from Guppy, 1917.
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    Observations of a naturalist in the Pacific between 1896 and 1899.
    Guppy, H.B.   1903 and 1906.  


    Guppy, H.B.;    Observations of a naturalist in the Pacific between 1896 and 1899.

    1903. Volume 1 - Vanua Levu, Fiji
    A description of its leading Physical and Geological characters.

    1906. Volume 2 - Plant Dispersal.

    Original copies of each of the two volumes of this book can be purchased from antiquarian book dealers (e.g., Abe Books), OR can be download at no charge because they are no longer in copyright!

    Free download Links:
    1903. Volume 1. - Vanua Levu, Fiji

    1906. Volume 2. - Plant Dispersal



    Page 80, of Volume II, discusses Mucuna urens in the Pacific. Interestingly, this plant also occurs in the Caribbean and northern South America.

    Most importantly, Mucuna urens is the "type species" of the genus Mucuna. As such, it is Mucuna urens that exemplifies what "Mucuna" is and thus provides guidance regarding what other species should be included (or excluded!) from this genus!

    Title pages from Vol. I and Vol. II.
    (If title pages do not alternate, refresh this web page.)


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