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Cocos nucifera - Coconut tree

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"Tender coconut"
"coconut"


The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family) and the only species of the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the whole coconut palm or the seed, or the fruit, which, botanically, is a drupe, not a nut. The spelling cocoanut is an archaic form of the word. The term is derived from the 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish word coco meaning "head" or "skull", from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.

Uses

Wounds, Cuts, Snakebites, Curing liver disorders, Skin eruptions, Blotches, Pimples, Diarrhea, Sore throats[1]

Parts Used

Leaves, Roots, stems.

Chemical Composition

Per 100 g, the kernel is reported to contain 36.3 g H2O 4.5 g protein, 41.6 g fat, 13.0 g total carbohydrate, 3.6 g fiber, 1.0 g ash, 10 mg Ca, 24 mg P, 1.7 mg Fe, and traces of beta-carotene[2]

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada tengina kayi, tengu
Hindi Nariya
Malayalam Thengu
Tamil Tennai
Telugu kobbari chettu
Marathi NA
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit
English Coconut


Habit

Tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
Simple lanceolate The leaves, from 4 to 6 m long, are pinnate; they consist of linear-lanceolate, more or less recurved, rigid, bright green leaflets

[3]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
Unisexual Yellow 6 female flowers are borne basally, male flowers at apex. Flowers bear lanceolate petals, 6 stamens and an ovary consisting of 3 connate carpelst

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
big as a man’s head 4-8 cm thick mesocarp and a woody endocarp; as it is rather light, it can be carried long distances by water while keeping its germinability for a long time smooth, grey-brownish epicarp single {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Easily grown in most soils[21][22], preferring a calcareous soil. Thrives in a dry lightly shaded position[16], though it prefers full sun. Plants usually self-sow quite freely when growing in a suitable position[19]. The seeds are contained in burrs that can easily attach themselves to clothing or animal's fur, thus transporting them to a new area where they can germinate and grow.The cultivar 'Sweet scented' is popular in France for making tea because the whole plant is sweet scented and the flowers have a spicy apricot-like fragrance[4]

Commonly seen growing in areas

tropical seashores, alluvial plains, Borders of forests and fields.

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Uses
  2. "puredue university"
  3. "coconut palm"
  4. [Coconuts grow well in lowland tropical regions as far as 26° north and south of the Equator and up to a maximum elevation of around 1,000 metres "practical palnts"]

External Links