try looking up zingiber, ginger's, but it does look very pine cone, what a mystery? good luck & thanks for the quiz, just what we need to keep our minds active while confined indoors due to the cold.

Hi! Thanks for your pointer ... I looked up the Zingiber's but it doesn't seem to be that, although they look beautiful and fascinating (I will spend a little more time looking at them anyway!), and yes, it does look very pine coney. The mystery continues ... !

Fascinating... don't look pine coney to me though. Remember it could have travelled a long way in the sea! Hope some knowledgable member can ID

could it be a banskia before fully ripe?

Hi Moon Grower and Seaburngirl - thanks for your comments. I have looked up the Banksia idea on Flickr photos and Google photos etc and it doesn't seem to be quite along those lines. I imagine it has probably travelled a long way, especially in the recent bad weather and storms that we have been having. The north shore of Menorca faces into the Med and directly north would be the south of France, and north west would be the east coast of northern Spain. To the west is Mallorca and over to the east is Corsica and Sardinia. I wonder if it came from any of those regions? Any more ideas from anyone would be greatly appreciated - and do you think I should just leave it outdoors all winter or bring it into the house, out of the elements? Thanks!

It's a pine, I think, rather smoothed and then polished by its adventure in the water. Try the "Canary Island Pine", pinus canariensis. Worthy

Are the 'nobly' bits hard and woody, Ninap? Try taking a knife and removing one of them. It will either come away as a wooden shell with a seed beneath it (pine) or it will be a fruit with the seed within its fleshy body (not a pine). If you keep it on a warm window sill for another dat or two the outer coverings will start to open out if uit is a pine.

Thanks Worthy & Bulbaholic. CIPine looks promising! I will keep it in the house for a few days to see if it opens out and if not I will removed one of the hard woody segments and see what is underneath! I will keep you posted! Thanks again. Nina

It looks to me like the cone of an Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), or a very close relative. I understand that mainland Spain has a well developed pine nut industry from this species.

Hi Tugbrethil - I think we have a winner! Just looked up the cones of Italian Stone Pine and it does look very very similar! Mine is a little smoother in appearance but I think that could be down to its travels by water. Thanks for your help and sharing your knowledge! Nina

excellent !! we thought pinecone ( ish) great puzzle btw. Result Tug, xmas hamper on it's way to you - - -Oh wait a min !!! - - - - -sorry Tug, snow preventing deliveries - - - - - - -nice thought though eh? ;-)) BRRRRRR!! Keep warm everyone.

I appreciate the thought, but your right,: it's likely to freeze on your end, and rot in the warmth on mine! : D
Wish I could send a few jars of warmth and sunshine your way, folks!