Coconut

Coconut - Cocos nucifera. This palm, being tolerant of salty, sandy soils, is often found growing at the top of beaches in tropical lands, although plantations are also to be found inland. It is essentially a smallholders' crop. The plant also grows in some subtropical regions, for example Florida. Its origin and domestication have been the subject of much discussion and there is no universal agreement, but a commonly held view is that it originated in the Melanesian area of the Pacific, then was taken in prehistoric times to Asia. Later, it was carried to East Africa, Panama, and the Atlantic coasts of the Americas and Africa. No doubt humans were responsible for much of this dispersal but a number of botanists are of the opinion that the coconut fruits could float in sea water and be dispersed by ocean currents over considerable distances without losing their ability to germinate if a suitable site is reached.

Tall palms are the most commonly planted and may attain a height of 20-30 m with an unbranched stem and a crown of 25-35 leaves. Flowers are male or female with flowering commencing at 6 - 12 years. There are also dwarf palms, 8-10 m high. The young fruits on the tree are initially green but become, on maturity, yellow, orange, red, or brown. A mature fruit is 20-30 cm long with a weight of 1.2-2.0 kg. The fruit consists of an outer skin (epicarp), a fibrous region (mesocarp), and a hard shell (endocarp) which encloses the well-known nut of commerce. At one end of the shell are three soft areas or 'eyes', through one of which the young shoot and root emerge. Inside the shell is the thin brown seed coat covering the important white endosperm, or 'meat', containing a tiny embryo. The centre of the endosperm is occupied by a cavity with, in the mature state, some water. Fruit may appear on the tree at 6 years and fruiting can carry on for about 80 years. A tree will bear some fruit at all times of the year, a distinct advantage over many crops.

The fruit is harvested in a number of ways. Skilled climbers use a rope passed around the tree trunk either as a belt or looped into stirrups for their feet. Harvesters may cut the fruit off the tree with a knife attached to a long bamboo pole. Often the fruit is allowed to fall naturally on the ground and collected at intervals. In some parts of South-East Asia, pig-tailed monkeys are trained to climb the palm and throw down the coconuts. Propagation of the tree is carried out by seed germination.

Coconut provides an important vegetable oil. Fruits are dehusked, that is the epicarp and fibrous region are removed. The resulting nuts are split open and the endosperm, or meat, extracted. This is dried to give 'copra', containing about 65 per cent oil, which is saturated (contains a large percentage of lauric acid). After oil extraction, the residue, known as 'poonac' in the East, with almost 20 per cent protein, is utilized as an animal feed. The oil is used in the manufacture of margarine, soap, cosmetics, and confectionery. It is a useful substitute for cocoa butter. Also, it can be used directly to fuel unmodified diesel engines. Desiccated coconut (70 per cent oil, 6 per cent protein) is prepared from fresh endosperm by shredding and drying, after first removing the seed coat. This product may be found in confectionery and baked goods. In the East and the Pacific region, fresh endosperm is eaten. Coconut 'milk', used in curries and sweets, is prepared by squeezing freshly grated endosperm through a sieve. This is not to be confused with coconut 'water' (with 5 per cent sugar, amino acids, minerals, and vitamin C) which is found in the centre of unripe fruits and is a popular tropical drink. The young endosperm is jelly-like and may be eaten. This immature state is retained permanently in the cultivar 'makapuno'. The coconut 'apple', part of the germinating embryo, is eaten in some regions. Coconut pollen may be sold in health food shops. Coconut palms are tapped at the unopened spathe for toddy (containing some ascorbic acid; the yeast provides vitamin B), arrack, and sugar. Toddy is sometimes used to produce vinegar. Palm cabbage is the delicate terminal bud, eaten raw, cooked, or pickled-it is sometimes canned. Naturally, the removal of the bud from the tree destroys the palm.

Apart from food, the coconut palm has many other uses. The fibrous region (mesocarp), known as 'coir', is made into products such as mats, ropes, brushes, and brooms. At present in the United Kingdom coir forms part of some soil composts-a useful substitute for peat which needs to be conserved. The wood is used for building and carvings; the leaves for baskets and thatching. Fruit shells have many uses, such as fuel, drinking receptacles and, when finely ground, as a filler in plastics.

The coconut palm is grown throughout the tropics. Major producers include the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, the Pacific region, Malaysia, and Mexico.