Cocos
nucifera is the scientific name
of common coconut. Cocos means "spectre,goblin"
or "grinning face"
and Nucifera means "bearing
nuts". This very tall
palm tree is always an inviting
symbol of the tropics. The coconut
palm is widely distributed throughout
Asia, Africa, Latin America, and
the Pacific Region. Its center of
origin is still under debate. However,
its name was recorded in Sanskrit
in early history.
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 center.
The shell itself is lined with a
layer of rich white "meat",
and the hollow at the center is
filled with a thin, slightly sweet
liquid that can be used as a beverage.
The dried meat, called copra, is
then subjected to pressing or extraction.
The residue is known as copra meal.
People call coconut a variety of
names, which reflect its usefulness
to societies - Tree of Life, Tree
of Abundance, Tree of heaven. Almost
every part of coconut palm is used.
It is a primary source of food,
drink, fuel, animal feed, and shelter. |
