Cocos nucifera

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae (Palmae)
Genus: Cocos
Species: C.nucifera
Scientific Name: Cocos nuciferaL.

Common names
English: Coconut tree
Hindi: Nariyal
Kannada: Tenginkayi
Marathi: Naral

Discription

1. Habit and Habitat: A tall or a large palm growing to 30m tall.Terrestrial habitat.
2. Distribution: cosmopolitan in distribution.Native to southeast Asia, while others claim its origin is in northwestern South America.Also native to the coastal regions of tropical Asia.
3. Morphology:
   Leaf: Leaves very large consisting of many leaflets, linear-lanceolate and pinnate forming a crown on the top.
   Inflorescence: Spadix type of inflorescence.
   Flower: Flowers are in large spadix.The flowers of the coconut palm are polygamomonoecious with both male and female flowers in the same inflorescence. Consists of boat-shaped spathe. Presence of 3 Sepals and 3 petals.
   Androecium: 6 stamens , valvate in nature.
   Gynoecium: ovary 3-celled but only one carpel develops into the fruit.
   Fruit: Large fibrous drupe, obovoid in shape.
   Seeds: Seed with white endosperm, brown testa and full of liquid endosperm- the coconut milk.
   Flowering and Fruiting time : All the year round.
4. Propagation: by seeds.
5. Importance:
   a.The fluid of tender fruit of Cocos nucifera (kalpa vriksha - coconut palm) is sweet and refreshing drink. The boiled young seedlings of Borassus flabellifer (palmyra palm) are edible and its fruits are eaten raw.
   b.The oil obtained from dried endosperm of Cocos nucifera is called cocoanut oil. It is used for cooking, for the preparation of vegetable fat (ghee) and as hair oil. The oil obtained from fleshy mesocarp of Elaeis guineansis is called palm oil. It is mainly used for the manufacture of soap.
   c.A sugary solution obtained by cutting young peduncles of Cocos nucifera, Borassus flabellifer and Phoenix sylvestris (Eechai) is used for manufacturing jaggery. This sugary solution on fermentation yields the beverage called ‘toddy’. This sap is also used for manufacturing a number of commercially useful products such as palm sugar, alcohol and vinegar.
   d.Dense stem wood of Borassus flabellifer and Cocos nucifera is used as timber.
   e.Adonidia merilli (Manila palm) and Caryota urens (wine palm).
6. Location: Anant Manohar Garden, Botanical Garden, Main Entrance Garden.