Description
Coconut leaves
Cocos nucifera is a large palm, growing up to 30 metres (100 feet) tall, with pinnate leaves 4–6 m
(13–20 ft) long, and pinnae 60–90 centimetres (2–3 ft) long; old leaves break away cleanly,
leaving the trunk smooth.[6] On fertile soil, a tall coconut palm tree can yield up to 75 fruits per
year, but more often yields less than 30.[7][8][9] Given proper care and growing conditions, coconut
palms produce their first fruit in six to ten years, taking 15 to 20 years to reach peak production. [10]
True-to-type dwarf varieties of Pacific coconuts have been cultivated by the Austronesian
peoples since ancient times. These varieties were selected for slower growth, sweeter coconut
water, and often brightly-colored fruits.[11] Many modern different varieties are also grown,
including the Maypan coconut, King coconut, and Macapuno. These vary by the taste of the
coconut water and color of the fruit, as well as other genetic factors. [12]
Fruit
Cross-section of the niu kafa form of the fruits of wild and Indo-Atlantic coconuts
Cross-section of the niu vai form of the fruits of domesticated Pacific coconuts
Botanically, the coconut fruit is a drupe, not a true nut.[13] Like other fruits, it has three layers:
the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp. The exocarp is the glossy outer skin, usually yellow-green
to yellow-brown in color. The mesocarp is composed of a fiber, called coir, which has many
traditional and commercial uses. Both the exocarp and the mesocarp make up the "husk" of the
coconut, while the endocarp makes up the hard coconut "shell". The endocarp is around 4
millimetres (1⁄8 inch) thick and has three distinctive germination pores (micropyles) on the distal
end. Two of the pores are plugged (the "eyes"), while one is functional. [14][15]
Coconut palm heavy with fruit
The interior of the endocarp is hollow and is lined with a thin brown seed coat around 0.2 mm
(1⁄64 in) thick. The endocarp is initially filled with a multinucleate liquid endosperm (the coconut
water). As development continues, cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the
endocarp up to 11 mm (3⁄8 in) thick, starting at the distal end. They eventually form the edible
solid endosperm (the "coconut meat" or "coconut flesh") which hardens over time. The small
cylindrical embryo is embedded in the solid endosperm directly below the functional pore of the
endosperm. During germination, the embryo pushes out of the functional pore and forms
a haustorium (the coconut sprout) inside the central cavity. The haustorium absorbs the solid
endosperm to nourish the seedling. [14][16][17]
Coconut fruits have two distinctive forms depending on domestication. Wild coconuts feature an
elongated triangular fruit with a thicker husk and a smaller amount of endosperm. These allow
the fruits to be more buoyant and makes it easier for them to lodge into sandy shorelines, making
their shape ideal for ocean dispersal. [18][19][20] Domesticated Pacific coconuts, on the other hand, are
rounded in shape with a thinner husk and a larger amount of endosperm. Domesticated coconuts
also have more amounts of coconut water.[18][19][20] These two forms are referred to by
the Samoan terms niu kafa for the elongated wild coconuts, and niu vai for the rounded
domesticated Pacific coconuts.[18][19][20]
A full-sized coconut fruit weighs about 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds 1 ounce). Coconuts sold
domestically in coconut-producing countries are typically not de-husked. Especially immature
coconuts (6 to 8 months from flowering) sold for coconut water and softer jelly-like coconut meat
(known as "green coconuts", "young coconuts", or "water coconuts"), where the original
coloration of the fruit is more aesthetically pleasing. [21][22]
Whole mature coconuts (11 to 13 months from flowering) sold for export, however, typically have
the husk removed to reduce weight and volume for transport. This results in the naked coconut
"shell" with three pores more familiar in countries where coconuts are not grown locally. De-
husked coconuts typically weigh around 750 to 850 grams (1 lb 10 oz to 1 lb 14 oz). De-
husked coconuts are also easier for consumers to open, but have a shorter postharvest storage
life of around two to three weeks at temperatures of 12 to 15 °C (54 to 59 °F) or up to 2 months
at 0 to 1.5 °C (32.0 to 34.7 °F). In comparison, mature coconuts with the husk intact can be
stored for three to five months at normal room temperature
