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CULTURAL AND WILD PLANTS
Coconut (coconut tree). Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application
Directory / Cultivated and wild plants Content
Coconut (coconut palm), Cocos nucifera. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism Sort by: Cocos Family: Palm (Arecaceae) Origin: Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands Area: Distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, especially in the regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Chemical composition: Coconut contains oils, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins (especially the B group), minerals (potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc), amino acids, fibers and other nutrients. Economic value: Coconut is widely used in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other industries. Coconut oil is used to produce margarine, soap, creams, lotions, and is also used in cooking for frying and confectionery. Coconut fibers are used for the production of ropes, carpets and other textiles. Coconut flakes are used in agriculture to improve the soil. In addition, coconut is an important food source for local people in tropical regions. Legends, myths, symbolism: In India, coconut palms are considered sacred and are given as offerings to deities. Coconut in India symbolizes wealth, longevity and abundance. In some religious practices, the coconut is used as a symbol of purification and renewal. In the traditional culture of the Philippines, the coconut tree is a symbol of peace, wealth and hospitality. In Brazilian culture, the coconut tree symbolizes life, fertility and abundance.
Coconut (coconut palm), Cocos nucifera. Description, illustrations of the plant Coconut palm, Cocos nucifera. Methods of application, origin of the plant, range, botanical description, cultivation
Species Cocos nucifera L. belongs to the family Palmaceae (Palmaceae), the order Spadiciflorae (Palmaceae). The coconut palm is one of the most important oilseeds in the world. In addition to oil, she gives a drink from unripe nuts, fibers for weaving and much more. The coconut tree is also used to make toddy and arak, alcoholic beverages. To do this, cut off the end of the unblown inflorescence and collect the juice released from the incision into an earthen vessel. Fermentation is done with "wild" or "cultivated" yeasts. The wine is obtained with a low strength, it resembles a light grape table wine. The coconut palm has been cultivated for thousands of years, but it is not known in the wild. The center of origin of the coconut palm is the region of the Sunda Islands and the neighboring islands of Polynesia. The distribution of the coconut palm along the islands and coasts of the tropical zone went in 2 ways. From palm trees leaning over a river or sea, the fruits fell into the water and were carried over long distances along the stream. It has been established that the germination of fruits is preserved in sea water for up to 110 days. During this time, they can swim up to 3000 miles. By sea, the coconut palm spread to the islands of the Pacific Ocean and continues to this day. However, human activity has had an even greater impact. It is believed that Indian traders brought palm trees to Africa, and Polynesians brought them to America. Spanish navigators at the end of the XNUMXth century. found a coconut palm on the coast of Central America. According to rough estimates, the coconut palm occupies about 5 million hectares, of which over 80% of the area is in Southeast Asia. World production is 36,8 million tons of nuts and 4,5 million tons of copra. In recent years, the production of coconuts in the countries of Southeast Asia is 85,0% and copra - 86,2% of world production. Leading producing countries: Indonesia, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia. The main area of cultivation of the coconut palm is located between 20 °C. sh. and 20 °S. sh. Palm trees are the most productive in this zone. The optimum temperature for growth and fruiting is 25-30 °C. Commercial plantations are located in the tropical zone at an altitude of up to 100 m at the edges of the range and up to 900 m at the equator. The coconut palm reaches a height of 20-40 m or more with a trunk diameter at the base of up to 60 cm. The trunk begins to form at the age of 4-6 years, and its secondary thickening does not occur due to the absence of cambium. Typically, a palm tree has one apical bud, upon death of which the plant dies. The trunk is usually curved. The leaves are large, up to 6 m long and up to 1 m wide. In adult palm trees, the leaves consist of 200-250 leaves 60-90 cm long and up to 2-3 cm wide. In good conditions, the leaves appear at intervals of 3-4 weeks, but in bad conditions, the intervals are extended to 2-3 months. The leaf reaches its normal size only after a year, and its life span is over 3 years. On average, a coconut palm has 30 to 40 leaves at different stages of their life cycle. Approximately, it can be considered that 1 leaf is formed and dies off every month (12-15 per year). Therefore, by the number of leaf scars, one can roughly judge the age of the palm tree. The inflorescences develop in the axils of the leaves and appear, like the leaves, at an interval of 3-6 weeks. The inflorescence is a panicle with spikelets 1,0-1,5 m long, sometimes up to 2 m. There are male and female flowers on the inflorescences. Pollination of the coconut palm is carried out by wind and insects. For vigorous varieties, cross-pollination and heterozygosity of offspring are characteristic, for dwarf varieties - self-pollination and greater genetic uniformity. As a result of strong fall of the ovaries, 6-12 fruits usually remain on the inflorescence. Under favorable conditions, flowering lasts all year round. The fruits of the coconut palm are among the largest in the plant world: their length is up to 30-40 cm, width - up to 25-30 cm, and weight can exceed 2 kg. The fruit is covered on the outside with a leathery exocarp of green, yellow or reddish color. This is followed by a layer of fibrous mesocarp 2-15 cm thick. It protects the seed from overheating and ensures the buoyancy of the fruit. In addition, potassium and other ash elements accumulate here in significant quantities. In young fruits, the mesocarp is edible. The seed is surrounded by a hard dark brown endocarp and is used as fuel and as a material for handicrafts (cups, bowls, etc.). The seed consists of an embryo and a solid white endosperm lining the inner surface of the endocarp with a layer of 0,8–2 cm. Young fruits aged no more than 5 months accumulate the maximum amount of liquid. The entire endosperm (0,5-1 l) at this time is liquid and transparent, it is used as a refreshing drink containing sugars, many organic acids and calcium salts, but very few vitamins. Thanks to the surrounding mesocarp layer, the juice stays cool even in the hottest weather. Later, drops of fat appear in the liquid and an emulsion is formed - coconut milk. Its composition depends on the phase of fruit ripening. Milk contains about 10% dry matter, 0,8% protein, 7,0% fat and 1,4% sugar, i.e. its composition is close to cow or buffalo milk. As the fetus develops further, the amount of proteins and fats in it increases, and the formation of a solid endosperm begins. The period from flower fertilization to fruit ripening varies due to conditions and varietal characteristics within 330-430 days. In the coconut palm, as in other monocotyledonous plants, the main root dies off early and is replaced by a large number of adventitious roots extending from the thickened base of the trunk. They live 10-20 years, some roots die off after 50 years. The palm, like other monocotyledonous plants, lacks a secondary thickening of the roots. This explains their uniformity in thickness, which ranges from 0,8 to 1,3 cm. The active part of the root system is represented by numerous suction roots that do not live very long. They provide contact with a large volume of soil and absorption of water and minerals. This compensates for the lack of root hairs in the coconut palm. The main mass of horizontal roots extends in the soil layer up to 50 cm, sometimes deeper, individual vertical roots reach a depth of 8 m. To obtain high yields, 1300-2300 mm of precipitation is required, which falls evenly throughout the year. Successful cultivation of palm trees in arid conditions is possible only if there is groundwater at a depth accessible to the roots. Since the formation of inflorescences in the axils of the leaves begins 16 months before they open, the negative effects of severe droughts or other adverse conditions appear after 1-2 years. Coconut palm is photophilous, but less demanding on light than oilseed. It grows on various types of soils with a fertile horizon at least 1 m deep. Within the vast range of the coconut palm, a large number of different forms are found.
All varieties of coconut palms are divided into 2 groups: ordinary (strong) and dwarf (undersized), which are much less common. Varieties differ in many biological and economic characteristics. But when evaluating, often only the quantity and quality of nuts are taken into account, primarily the yield of copra. The oil content in copra varies slightly in individual varieties. Of the vigorous varieties, San Ramone should be called, which occupies large areas in the Philippines and neighboring countries. It has a high yield and very large fruits. The yield of copra from one nut exceeds 300 g. Java is cultivated in Indonesia. In India, the Kappadam variety is popular, in Indochina - Cochinchina, etc. In the tropical zone of America, the large-fruited San Blas variety has proven itself perfectly. Varieties of dwarf palm are distinguished by small plant size, rapid fruiting and small nuts. Copra is of lower quality. The dwarf palm is less durable, its productive life period is 20-30 years. Of the varieties of dwarf palms, one can name Coconinho (coconut - "child") in the Philippines, Gading Clan (Indonesia, Malaysia), King (Sri Lanka), etc. For reproduction, mature nuts are sown in a nursery. In coconut germination, the seedling emerges through a hole in the endocarp and primary roots develop in the fibrous mesocarp. Adventitious roots emerge from the mesocarp into the soil only after a few months, the first leaf appears 3-9 months after the establishment of the nursery. As the works of many scientists have shown, from the nuts that germinate first, the most fruitful palm trees grow, which begin to bear fruit early. It is recommended to discard all nuts that have not sprouted in 5 months. Planting of plants in a permanent place is carried out at the age of 6 to 18 months throughout the year, except for the dry season. Planting patterns largely depend on soil fertility and the vigor of individual varieties. The coconut palm grows well on river alluvial sediments, coastal and island coral sands and sandy soils, as well as volcanic and light loamy soils with good filtration. Peaty and black merged soils are unsuitable for cultivation of the coconut palm. On red ferrallitic soils, palm trees suffer from an excess of mobile forms of iron, aluminum and manganese. The palm tree withstands salinity of the soil solution up to 3%, while other tropical plants die under such conditions. In this regard, the coconut palm has no competitors among cultivated plants. However, the highest productivity of coconut plantations is achieved on soils in which the concentration of chlorides does not exceed 0,2%. The optimal reaction of the soil solution is within pH 5-8. The first 3-4 years after planting, especially careful care is required - irrigation, weed control, etc. Soil maintenance systems are used the same as on citrus plantations. Row spacing is often used for cultivating corn, rice, sweet potato, yam, etc. In some cases, banana, cocoa, pineapple, papaya are planted or green manure, including legumes, is sown. 1-140 palms are grown per 160 hectare of plantation. Increasing the density of plantings, as a rule, does not lead to an increase in the yield of copra, this only increases the number of nuts, but the yield of copra decreases. From 1 hectare of plantation, an average of 4-5 thousand nuts are obtained, from which up to 1 ton of copra is extracted. Vigorous varieties with additional pollination produce up to 12 thousand nuts (3 tons of copra) per 1 ha, 4-5 thousand fruits contain more than 30 kg of nitrogen, 20 kg of phosphorus and more than 50 kg of potassium. Approximately the same amount of nutrients is contained in the crop of the compact crop (in row spacing). Coconut palm begins fruiting at the age of 6-10 years, and gives a full harvest from 15-20 years. Dwarf varieties begin to bear fruit from 4-5 years of age. With age, the yield of a palm tree increases: at the age of 7-10 years, it gives about 10 nuts per palm, at 15-20 years - 15-20, at 40-50 years - up to 30-50 nuts. A good harvest for adult palms can be considered 50-60 nuts, i.e. 3-4 on each inflorescence. The best palm trees produce up to 200 or more fruits. The productive period of vigorous varieties is usually 60-80 years, dwarf - 30-40 years. Since commercial copra contains 60-65% oil, its yield from 1 hectare is 0,4-0,8 tons, which is much less compared to oil palm. The fruits are harvested all year round with an interval of 1 to 60 days. The picker climbs a palm tree or cuts the fruit with a knife mounted on a long bamboo pole. Harvest processing. The fruits are cleaned of the fibrous mesocarp, then the "nuts" are split in half and, after drying, the hard endosperm is removed. The resulting product - copra - on average contains 5-6% water, 60-74% oil, 9% protein, 16% carbohydrates. To obtain 1 ton of copra, 3-8 thousand nuts are required. Most of the oil is extracted by pressing. Copra oil is of high quality and is used to make soap, as well as margarine and other edible fats. Fibers from the pericarp (copra) are used to make mats, mats and other products. Usually, about 1 kg of finished fiber is obtained from 80 thousand fruits. Cake after oil extraction is a very valuable feed for livestock, as it contains a lot of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Authors: Baranov V.D., Ustimenko G.V.
Coconut. The history of growing a plant, economic importance, cultivation, use in cooking
What is a coconut plant? Coconut palm Cocos nucifera belongs to the palm family. In terms of importance in human life, palm trees are second only to cereals, and coconut is one of the ten most important trees in the world. Experts are still arguing about where the birthplace of the coconut palm is: some botanists consider tropical America as such, others - the Pacific Islands. Be that as it may, now coconut palms grow on all sea and ocean coasts of the tropical zone, coral islands and atolls. Coconuts fall into the sea, and the current carries them to new shores. A long stay in salt water does not prevent them from germinating, but coastal animals are not averse to feasting on young leaves. Therefore, the most favorable place for a coconut palm is an atoll where there are no wild pigs, rodents and monkeys. The fruit of the coconut palm is a drupe, like a plum or an apricot. Only the middle layer of the fruit, the mesocarp, which is located between the skin and the seed, is not juicy in a coconut, but dry and fibrous. If it is torn off, a seed will remain in our hands, a hefty hard bone, rough from adhering mesocarp fibers. They call it coconut. The stone, as expected, is much smaller than the whole fruit, which reaches a length of 20-30 cm and weighs about 2 kg. On one "pole" of the stone there are three round pores intended for the germination of the embryo. They look like dark spots. The sailors of Vasco da Gama's expedition thought that the hairy bone with three spots resembled the face of a monkey, in Portuguese "coco". And the specific name of the plant nucifera is derived from the Latin words nux ("nut") and ferre ("carry"). Well, a nut is a nut. What happens inside a coconut pit? The fruit of the coconut palm ripens slowly, 10-12 months. Inside the seed is the embryo and the supply of moisture and nutrients it needs - the endosperm. That is what we eat and drink. As the nut matures, metamorphoses occur with the endosperm. While the embryo is small, the endosperm is liquid. Liquid, and in a large bone it can be up to half a liter, transparent, sweet and sour, rich in sugar and vitamins. As the embryo develops, the endosperm thickens, becomes cloudy, and drops of oil appear in it. This emulsion is called coconut milk. Meanwhile, a dense white layer, tasty and fragrant, grows along the walls of the bone from the inside. Meanwhile, the endosperm continues to thicken, hardens and forms a spongy juicy pulp that nourishes the roots of the embryo. Sometimes a coconut sprouts by weight, the roots of the sprout remain in the stone even when the plant has formed three or four large leaves. In the tropics, endosperm is considered a delicacy, eaten raw or baked, but sprouted nuts do not get into our stores, and we are content with a layer of pulp lining the shell from the inside. About coconut liquids. To drink coconut water, a young green coconut, about five months old, is plucked from the tree. If the fruit is dropped, it can rot, become prey to insects or rodents, and the liquid will spoil. Coconut water contains proteins, antioxidants, B vitamins and vitamin C. It has no fat and little sugar, this drink is considered dietary (16,7 kcal per 100 g), it restores strength after exercise and quenches thirst well, helps with diarrhea , and due to the high content of potassium ions reduces high blood pressure. For those who live away from palm trees, drinking coconuts are specially packaged and sold. In the whole nut, the liquid is sterile. Coconut water is also sold in cans and cartons, but connoisseurs say that you should only drink from fresh coconut. The result of coconut "obesity" is coconut milk. It contains 17-22% fatty acids, 6% carbohydrates, 4% protein and vitamins. From this suspension, as from real milk, coconut cream is obtained. Coconut milk can be made at home by soaking finely grated coconut meat in hot water. Coconut milk has a sweetish taste and quenches thirst well, it is drunk raw, added to tea or coffee, and yogurt is prepared on its basis. It replaces cow's milk for people who do not eat animal foods or are lactose intolerant. If you freeze coconut milk, it will retain its freshness, but will lose the specific taste and aroma created by lactones - internal esters of hydroxycarboxylic acids that are found in milk and coconut pulp. In tropical countries, coconut milk is used as an ingredient in many traditional dishes: spicy sauces, soups, desserts and drinks. It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system and liver and normalizes the function of the thyroid gland. By the way, water and milk are not the only liquids that you can profit from a coconut palm. Local residents cut young inflorescences (and the length of the inflorescence is one or two meters) and palm sugar, vinegar, wine and alcohol are obtained from sweet juice. What is copra? And so, draining and drinking the liquid, we got to the white pulp of the coconut. It is fatter than milk, it contains 36-37% fatty acids, 4% protein, about 5% sugars and 9% fiber. Coconut pulp contains a lot of vitamins, micro and macro elements, especially a lot of iron and potassium. It is part of spicy sauces, pastries, chocolate, ice cream, it can be flavored with cereals, chips are made from it, added to soups and salads. But be careful, sometimes coconut pulp causes food allergies. Dried coconut meat is called copra. The content of fatty acids in it increases to 60-70%, coconut oil is squeezed out of fresh copra. Like all vegetable oils, it can be hot and cold pressed. The cold method is more gentle, it allows you to extract no more than 10% of the oil, but retains all its useful properties. Health benefits of coconut oil. Coconut oil is 90% saturated fatty acids, which is why it has a margarine-like consistency. It spreads well and can be an excellent substitute for spreads - the so-called soft butter containing artificially saturated vegetable fats. However, coconut oil is easy to melt, already at 27 ° C it turns into a transparent yellow liquid. Due to the high content of saturated acids, coconut oil oxidizes very slowly, therefore, it keeps well. And, like any fat with a low melting point, it leaves a very pleasant, non-salty feeling in the mouth. Coconut oil is the richest source of easily digestible fatty acids with six, eight and ten carbon chains. It is indispensable for baby food and medicinal products intended for people who cannot absorb longer chain fatty acids.
Lauric acid, the main fatty acid in breast milk, predominates in coconut oil. It normalizes the level of cholesterol in the blood and has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. This oil does not smoke when burned, so it can be used for frying. It is also readily added to salads, and in India it is often replaced with butter. Coconut oil is an ingredient in many confectionery products, such as dry mixes for baking. But the digestive enzyme lipase is also added to these mixtures, and under such conditions, coconut oil is quickly hydrolyzed, that is, saponified. The taste is appropriate. In general, coconut oil soap is highly valued for its cleansing properties and rich lather. This is the only soap that lathers in salt water. Just don't confuse coconut oil with palm oil, which is pressed from the fruit of the Elaeis guineensis oil palm tree. The fruit of this palm tree is also a drupe, but juicy. Palm oil, rich in carotenoids, is obtained from its pulp. Candles and soap are made from it, carotene is extracted, used for lubrication. And palm kernel edible oil is pressed from the seeds, similar in property to coconut oil. How to choose a coconut? The ripeness of a coconut is determined by the peel: initially green and smooth, it gradually darkens. It is impossible to confuse a ripe fruit with a thick layer of pulp and a young nut, in which there is only water. But, alas, nuts come to the store without a peel, and we can only exclude obvious substandard. First of all, there must be milk inside, so the nut must be shaken next to the ear to hear the splash of liquid. The coconut itself should be whole, without cracks or mold spots, and the pores should be only slightly darker than the shell. How to open a coconut? In adventure novels, coconuts were cut open with a knife and greedily drank life-giving moisture. The locals in the tropics do just that, but more civilized ways have been devised for us so that we do not inadvertently hit our fingers with a cleaver. First, pour out the liquid so as not to lose it. With a clean nail or ice pick, pierce two of the three pores of the coconut and drain the liquid into a glass. If her taste and smell are pleasant, it makes sense to work further. We turn the empty coconut by hitting it hard on the "equator" with a kitchen hammer or the handle of a heavy knife. In the end, the nut will not stand it and will split in half. Scoop out the pulp with a spoon. To make this easier, place the coconut halves in an oven preheated to 200°C for ten minutes. What would you like to cook with coconut? When you cook semolina, pour coconut flakes into a saucepan along with grits. It will turn out delicious. Author: Ruchkina N.
Ninety-nine bounties of coconut. Featured article
Russian agronomist I. Klingen sailed around South Asia. He studied how the tea bush grows. The warm sea sparkled. A refreshing breeze blew. Silhouettes of coconut palms stretched endlessly along the horizon, identifying themselves with the tropics. But Klingen was not happy about new places. His heart was dark. Today he realized that the dairy industry of old Europe and America is in the greatest danger. And it comes from the same coconut palm, which waves its feathery leaves so affably and even leans over the water towards the sea, as if stretching out its green hands to the guests. These gloomy thoughts came to Klingen's head in the ship's canteen. He was served traditional oatmeal with butter for breakfast. The oil seemed especially delicious. It had a unique aroma, not like the usual smell of butter. Klingen explained this by saying that cows eat completely different food in the tropics. This oil smells different. But just in case, he asked the waiter. He said that the butter is not butter at all, but coconut oil. It is more profitable than cow, three times cheaper. And cheap because getting it is not a big job. Coconut is a lazy tree. The fruits fall off on their own as soon as they are ripe. You just need to be patient and wait until they fall down. And observe safety precautions so that a falling source of oil does not crush your head. Klingen's fears were not confirmed. The palm tree has not replaced the cow. However, it has not lost its significance. Coconut oil is still famous. And margarine is made from it. And besides, they make soap with special properties. They can wash clothes in salty sea water. It gives the same lush foam there as any other in soft rain. Maybe because the palm tree itself grows on the salty land of the coasts. Connoisseurs believe that it does not move further than 400 meters from the coast precisely because the salty breath of the sea does not reach further. In India, coconut soap is in every home. In particular, they love to wash infants. Their skin acquires amazing tenderness and elasticity. This creature is famous not only for soap. There was a saying: "A coconut has ninety-nine benefits, and a hundredth will soon be found!" The number "99" is said to be taken for originality. In fact, there are many more benefits. Even in ancient times, there were 350 applications in the home economy. And science is moving forward. And household too. Not without reason, each person in the tropics uses from 60 to 150 nuts for family needs per year. And for food. And for cosmetics. And lighting (coconut oil doesn't smoke). These days, the list of coconut bounties has lengthened. Coconut has become on the streets the same shade tree as poplar. In Havana, we met him at every corner. If it's hot and thirsty, then on the outskirts of the capital, the Havanese do this. Take a cobblestone and knock down one of the nuts. Knife-machetes cut off the top and drink a cool drink - milk. And on the Fiji Islands, the production and drinking of milk is a ritual for tourists. We were brought by boat to one of the coral islands. There the guide climbed up the sloping trunk, as if on a steep slope, to the top of a palm tree and dropped a few nuts from there. The second guide at the bottom opened the nuts, gave everyone a cocktail tube and suggested that they start tasting. Milk has three advantages. It was cool despite the heat. Aromatic. And most importantly, a little hissed from the bubbles of carbon dioxide, like a real soda. This last property has always delighted even such a connoisseur of tropical plants as Professor E. Korner from the English city of Cambridge. When we boarded the ship to go back to the capital of Fiji, the city of Suva, we noticed that the guide brought a bunch of fresh coconut leaves into the cabin. As soon as they started, he began to weave all kinds of objects from them. He wove a tropical sun helmet for one tourist, a hiking bag for another, and a stuffed bird for a third. And for me, as a botanist, a herbarium press for drying plants. It is a pity that these souvenirs were taken away in the customs of the city of Sydney. Quarantine! Another touch to the portrait of the coconut. The trunk, although crooked, is quite high. About like our birch or aspen. And sometimes it is higher, like a pine or spruce. Crown at the top of an umbrella. Various animals and birds find refuge in it, and sometimes people. Most often, a local rat lives there. She eats nuts, which satisfy both hunger and thirst. Therefore, sometimes it does not descend to the ground at all. If you need to warm up, then travels through the crowns, jumping from tree to tree. It is said in the Fiji Islands that in former years, when there were skirmishes between the tribes, and there were no guns yet, some fugitives remained alive only by climbing into the crown of a coconut. It was difficult to drive the prisoner out of there. One such lived on top of a coconut for about six months. He sat quietly in the thick of the leaves. He uncorked nut after nut, and the fat milk kept him going. If they climbed up the trunk to him in order to drive him away, he bombarded the attackers with the same nuts. Six months later he was released by his friends. The botanist D. Dobrochaeva met the voluntary hermit Tom Neal on the island-atoll of Suvorov. He was assigned to protect the bird sanctuary. Tom planted the whole atoll with coconut palms and provided himself with food for all future years. He has been living there for more than fifteen years and makes all new dishes from nuts. When planting coconuts, you need to know a few secrets that will allow you to better preserve palm trees and get a bigger harvest. Connoisseurs have noticed that the leaves of young coconut seedlings can turn in different directions. Some palm trees to the left. Others to the right. When we calculated how many of those and others were in the grove, it turned out that there were approximately the same number. A little more on the left. Remarkably, the left gives about one-fifth more nuts than the right. What is the matter here, even Professor E. Korner could not figure it out. But the biggest mystery of the coconut is the location of its supposed homeland. Since the time of Columbus, travelers have been telling how well the coconut floats. The palm tree itself is not accidentally leaning over the water. She must drop the nut into the sea so that it floats away to distant lands. The specified program is executed, the nut floats. Later observations confirmed the stories of travelers. There was a sensational eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883. All vegetation died. But ten years later, botanists found coconut palms there. Not otherwise than they grew from nuts thrown ashore by the ocean. Perhaps they would have thought that a nut could sail over three seas if Thor Heyerdahl had not intervened. When the Tour sailed from South America to Polynesia, he took two hundred coconuts with him. Half was laid on the deck of the raft. The other half was below deck, where the salty ocean washed over them. When they arrived in Polynesia, it turned out that the nuts, soaked in the water, died. The conclusion from this story is clear to everyone. A walnut cannot swim on the waves for a long time. Although it is designed for swimming, but not very long. True, another no less famous scientist, the American A. Whitaker, kept his nuts in the sea bay for 111 days. And they stayed alive. But Tours died! Different nuts, different seas, different times. Now imagine where the supposed homeland might be. Some are looking for her in South America. Others in South Asia. Still others - on the islands of the Pacific Ocean. There is also an opinion that on the mainland of Mu, which has long been immersed in the ocean abyss. It is doubtful whether the continent of Mu existed at all. Nobody has proven this yet. The most tempting of all was the American version. Eleven close relatives of coconut were counted on the continent of South America, and not a single one in Asia and the Pacific Islands! All these relatives are savages. So they were born here, in America. And the nut-bearing coconut itself could have arisen here. In addition, self-sowing coconut palms are not found on the Pacific islands, which was testified by the best expert on these places, Professor E. Merrill. And since there is no self-seeding, it means that the palm tree is planted here.
Supporters of the island Pacific origin of coconut put forward such arguments: although there are no wild relatives of coconut on the islands, the walnut palm itself has 50 varieties here, which America cannot boast of. In search of a solution to this confusing issue, the disputing parties involved in the discussion a palm thief - the birgus crab. The crab is as big as a turtle. He picks up the fallen fruits, unseals them with his claws and scrapes them from the inside. If there are no fallen ones, it climbs a tree and harvests on the spot. The crab lives in the Pacific Islands. It doesn't exist in America. Supporters of the American version, when they appreciated the crab, were delighted. It seemed to them that the opponents were defeated. Still would! In crab, coconut nuts are the main food. If the coconut was born in America, and then it was brought to Polynesia, then what would the crab eat until then? Indeed, it is difficult to argue with this argument. The Pacific Ocean wanted to surrender, but then one remarkable fact came to light. If for some reason there are no coconuts, the birgus switches to the nuts of another palmyra palm. And she always grew up in the Pacific Islands. So, the crab could well do without coconut. And managed until they brought him to Polynesia. And when they delivered, he, of course, switched to larger and tastier nuts. And the illusion was created that he was always associated with coconut. So there are disputes with varying success. Many botanists lean in favor of the Asiatic, island hypothesis. The very nature of the palm tree is more island than mainland. No wonder this tree gracefully bends over the water, dropping ripe fruits into the blue sea. And now it is worth answering a question that will surely arise. How did it happen that one still has to climb (with some risk) to a height of thirty meters for coconut fruits, while other fruit trees of the world have long been shortened by people? The answer might be this. And they are trying to shorten the coconut. Already undersized, semi-dwarf varieties are being created. However, this is not always necessary. After all, the coconut is a "tree of lazy people", and its fruits, when ripe, must fall by themselves, as happens with plums and some other fruits. Author: Smirnov A.
Coconut (coconut palm), Cocos nucifera. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
Ethnoscience:
Cosmetology:
Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!
Coconut (coconut palm), Cocos nucifera. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is a tropical plant that is known for its coconuts and is the main source of coconut oil. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing coconut: Cultivation:
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