Caesalpinia bonduc (Buddha Beans)

My new neighbor brings over 16 Knicker Nuts as a gift. He calls them "good luck" beans and claims to have amassed a collection of 30,000 beans.

The seed is within a hollow hard wooden sphere about 1/2 inch in diameter. The seed is "designed" to float on ocean currents. The plant is found on all continents near beaches in pantropical locations. This method of reproduction is pretty brilliant as an example of invention by endless mindless mutations...{Mrs Phred is going to the Galapagos next week to doublecheck Darwin's wild new theories)...

He explains that if you drill a small hole in the sphere and plant it, a plant from hell will emerge covered with stickers and spines. It grows quickly, scrambles over everything and is impossible to uproot.

I think I'll save mine and pack them away near my assault rifle ammo in case I ever have a problem with someone that doesn't justify the use of lethal force

Caesalpinia bonduc seeds have been used in the folklore medicine since long time. The use of this plant has been quoted in the Ayurvedic and traditional scriptures.[1] Plant is reported to have multiple restorative properties like anthelmintic, antibacterial, antidiuretic and recently it has received considerable attention to treat Diabetes.

C. bonduc F. (family: Caesalpiniaceae) is a large, scandent, prickly shrub found throughout the hotter and southern parts of India. It is a large straggling, thorny shrub, the branches are armed with hooks and straight, hard yellow prickles. The leaves are compound. The flowers are pale yellow in color, in supra-axillary racemes at the top. The fruits are inflated pods, covered with prickles, 6 cm long, and 1-2 seeds per pod. The seeds are globular, hard, bluish grey in color with a smooth shiny surface.

C. bonduc has numerous synonyms like Duhsparsa – difficult to touch, Kantaki karanja – having prickles; Vajra bijaka - having hard seeds, Kanta phala – has fruits covered with prickles, etc. It is attributed to be an aphrodisiac and general tonic helping in the rejuvenation of the body.[2] The roasted seed powder is used as an antileprotic. The seeds are useful as anti-inflammatory,[3] antidiabetic, antiperiodic, antipyretic, etc.[4,5]