What is this winged seed that resembles Maple/Acer?

Question

I picked up these seeds on the streets of Marrakech in Morocco (I've found similar seeds in Lisboa, Portugal), thinking they were Maple/Acer seeds. Upon germination (which took an awful lot of time) it turned out they weren't Acer at all. What are they? Scale is in cm.

That doesn't look like a sterilized mix. Could be different seeds that sprouted first. — J. Musser, Jan 24 '17 at 11:49
Could you dig near the roots, to see it the seedling grow from the winged seed? — Giacomo Catenazzi, Jan 24 '17 at 12:49
I left Morocco and Portugal half a year ago, so the above is all I can provide. At that time I was certain they were Maple seeds, so I didn't even consider looking for alternative sources. — Klaus Alexander Seistrup, Jan 24 '17 at 16:46

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 25 '17 at 11:26

5

It might be Tipuana tipu - its a South American tree, a member of the Fabaceae or legume family, widely planted in warmer regions of the world. Scroll down this link, under 'Helicopters (whirlibirds)': - Blowing In The Wind - Seeds & Fruits Dispersed By Wind.

edited Jan 25 '17 at 11:26

Ken Graham

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answered Jan 24 '17 at 14:33

Bamboo

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I went to same conclusion (it seemed more a Fabaceae), but the form seems still more Acer, and it is not so frequent in mediteranean (AFAIK) – Giacomo Catenazzi Jan 24 '17 at 15:19
I agree, it certainly looks like Tipuana tipu, both the seeds and the leaves. If nobody has any objections, I will mark this as a valid answer. Thanks for the help! – Klaus Alexander Seistrup Jan 24 '17 at 16:47
I agree. Fabaceae 100%. This is not an Acer seedling but the seeds most definitely are. – Brenn Jan 25 '17 at 02:49
@Brenn uh? Tipuana does produce samaras like these, even though they could be Acer seeds going from appearance alone – Bamboo Jan 25 '17 at 11:24
My bad. You're right. On my phone, I didn't see that this seed terminated in a funicle as opposed to another samara. I now agree that it's Tipuana, a genus I was not immediately familiar with. – Brenn Jan 25 '17 at 14:56
Well you're not alone - it was only luck I chose the right phrase to do a search, I knew nothing about Tipuana myself. Quite interesting it produces samaras because they really do look like Acer seeds... – Bamboo Jan 25 '17 at 15:15
@Brenn the seeds you see is what gave me the seedling, so both are Tipuana. – Klaus Alexander Seistrup Jan 31 '17 at 14:43
Yup @Klaus Alexander Seistrup, I agreed once I inspected the image closer. See? ^^ – Brenn Feb 01 '17 at 20:46
You're quite right, @Brenn, I missed that. – Klaus Alexander Seistrup Feb 03 '17 at 08:16

What is this winged seed that resembles Maple/Acer?

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