Phoenix Eye Bodhi Seed

Phoenix eye bodhi (鳳眼菩提) is a plant material, not a mineral and not from the bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa): the bead is the hard, bony endocarp (stone) of a jujube-type fruit of the genus Ziziphus in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). More than one Ziziphus species is involved and the exact species is not settled. The 'eye' pattern shows the stone's two carpels and two locules.

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Full material guide
Material facts

What the material is, where it comes from or how it is made, identification and care, from the cited sources.

Properties

Nature Plant material (fruit stone / endocarp)
Botanical name Ziziphus species; the exact species is not settled (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa has been named, and one paper identified it as Ziziphus abyssinica)
Plant family Rhamnaceae (buckthorn family)
Structure Two carpels and two locules, each locule holding a seed

Origins & sources

According to the Guokr article, unlike most bodhi seeds on the Chinese market, which are domestic, phoenix eye bodhi is mostly imported, and it can be bought cheaply in Nepal.

Identification

On a polished bead the two sides of the 'eye' are parts of the two carpels, and each 'eyelid' encloses one locule of the ovary where a seed grew, so the two-carpel, two-locule structure is clearly visible. Fruits with three, four or five carpels also occur and are sold under separate names: dragon eye bodhi (龍眼菩提), qilin eye bodhi (麒麟眼菩提) and papaya bodhi (木瓜菩提).

Care

Not collected yet

History & culture

History

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Cultural meanings

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Traditional beliefs

Not collected yet

Sources

Collected Oct 23, 2026