Cocos nucifera

Cocos nucifera

Biggest Plant Dictionary | Cocos nucifera |  Cocos nucifera. The ripe fruit of the coconut palm has a hard shell covered by a fibrous outer coat and contains an edible kernel with the coconut in the centre. The nut is split open, and the edible kernel is dried to a moisture content below 6% to prevent deterioration. The dried meat, called copra, is then subjected to

pressing or extraction. The residue is known as coconut (oil) meal (or cake), copra meal or poonac. Depending on the milling equipment, the oil residue in the marketed product ranges from 1% to 22%. Hydraulic press residue is usually marketed in flat round cakes, and the other grades are sold in dark-coloured lumps. The product known as sediment meal is quite distinct, however, as it is recovered from the filter pads of the oil-straining presses. On the average 1000 nuts will produce about 180 kg of copra, and the processing of this amount of copra yields about 110 kg of oil and 55 kg of meal, the remainder being evaporated moisture and unavoidable losses. The fibrous coat (husk) has no feed value. The dust from processing the husks into fibre (coir dust) has been suggested as a carrier for molasses. Coconut orchards can be grazed when the leaves can no longer be reached by the grazing animals. It is often necessary to apply extra fertilizer to orchards that are being grazed as the coconut leaves tend to become yellow. Found across much of the tropics, the coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many domestic, commercial, and industrial uses of its different parts. Coconuts are part of the daily diet of many people. Its endosperm is known as the edible "flesh" of the coconut; when dried it is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is a refreshing drink and can be processed to create alcohol. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. It also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.

In 1280, Marco Polo, described coconut growing in Sumatra, as well as in Madras and Malabar in India, calling it nux indica, the Indian nut. The first detailed description of the coconut palm in western literature was provided by the Italian explorer Lodovico, di Varthema in his "Itinerario" of 1510, in which he referred to it astenga.

The coconut palm was unquestionable spread by Austronesians through the Pacific, perhaps eventually to the Pacific coast of Central America, and westward to India and East Africa. In Western Melanesian charred fruits were sited back to 3000 BC. The coconut was an important tropical economic with its enormous range of uses.