Cocos nucifera
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Species name: Cocos nucifera
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- Species identity and nomenclature
- Current Wikipedia entry
- Binomial Classification
- Morphological features
- Habitat and Geographical Spread
- Maps
- Medicinal Importance
- Cultural significance
- Commercial importance and cultivation
- Summary of PubMed articles
- Summary of NCBI molecular data
- External Links
- Images and Videos
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Names of users who have contributed to this species page | SupriyaK | |
| Date on which this page was first created | 2010/06/15 | |
| This page was last modified on: | 24 November 2010 04:00:49 | |
| Name of the species | Cocos nucifera | |
| ID on Encyclopedia of Life | 1091712 | |
| Synonyms | Please check Binomial Classification section for synonyms. | |
| Common English Names | Coconut | |
| Common Hindi Names | नारियल Naariyal | |
| Common Indian names | Nariyal,नारियल (Hindi);য়ুবী,Yubi (Manipuri);தென்னை Tennai (Tamil));Thengu (Malayalam);kobbari chettu కొబ్బరి చెట్టు, kobbari kaya కొబ్బరి కాయ (Telugu);Narlu नार्लु (Konkani);Naral नारळ, Shriphal श्रीफळ (Marathi) | SupriyaK |
| Origins/Meanings of the common names | Coconuts received the name from Portuguese explorers, the sailors of Vasco da Gama in India, who first brought them to Europe. The brown and hairy surface of coconuts reminded them of a ghost or witch called Coco. Before it was called nux indica, a name given by Marco Polo in 1280 while in Sumatra, taken from the Arabs who called it جوز هندي jawz hindī. Both names translate to "Indian nut." When coconuts arrived in England, they retained the coco name and nut was added. | Wikipedia |
Taxonomy from Encyclopedia of Life
If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID
{{#EoLOnlyHierarchy:1091712}}
Taxonomy filled in form
Click here for the PDF of the phylogeny
| Taxon | Value |
|---|---|
| Regnum (Kingdom) | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Liliopsida |
| Order | Arecales |
| Family | Arecaceae |
| Genus | Cocos |
| Source of data | ' |
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| Division | Taxon details | Taxon morphology details |
|---|---|---|
| Magnoliophyta | Also called Angiospermae. The ancestors of flowering plants diverged from gymnosperms around 245–202 million years ago, and the first flowering plants known to exist are from 140 million years ago. They diversified enormously during the Lower Cretaceous and became widespread around 100 million years ago, but replaced conifers as the dominant trees only around 60-100 million years ago. | These are seed plants like Gymnosperms, but can be differentiated by the presence of flowers, seeds containing endosperm and seeds that produce a fruit. Angiosperms are the most diverse and highly evolutionarily successful group of land plants. |
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| Class | Taxon details | Taxon morphology details |
|---|---|---|
| Liliopsida | Liliopsida is considered the scientific name for monocots, but monocots may be called differently based on different taxonomic classification systems. Based on chloroplast DNA sequences, the divergence date between monocots and dicots is estimated to be ~200 million years, with a 40 million years uncertainty. There are ~50000-60000 species of monocots, with the largest family being Orchidaceae (orchids) consisting of ~20000 species. The true grasses (Poaceae) are the most economically important family, with 70% of the crops being cultivated belonging to this family. | The following features distinguish monocots from dicots - 1) Three flower parts in each flower (vs 4-5 in dicots) 2) One pore in pollen (vs 3) 3) One cotyledon (vs 2) 4) Vascular bundles in stem scattered (vs concentric circles) 5) Adventitious roots (vs radicle-origin) 6) Parallel venation (vs reticulate) These broad distinguishing features indeed have some exceptions |
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Based on classification
More details can be found in the Binomial Classification section.
Morphology from Encyclopedia of Life
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{{#EoLOnlyDescription:1091712}}
General morphology
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| General morphological features of the plant | Stem up to 22 m tall, thick at the base, stout, smooth with prominent rings, greyish, unbranched, remains of old leaves on the top of the stem. | Encyclopedia of Life |
| Seed dispersal mechanism | Hydrophily (By water) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bloom type | Perennial | EoL |
| Life cycle of the plant |
How to identify this species
For a detailed description, refer to the General Morphology details above
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Type of plant | Woody (Tree/Shrub) | |
| Plant height | More than 10 feet | Gauravm |
| Flower color | Yellow | EoL |
| Flower shape | ||
| Floral symmetry | ||
| Phyllotaxy of leaves | Opposite | |
| Leaf shape | ||
| Is the leaf petiolated or sessile? | ||
| Is the leaf simple or compound? |
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | |
| Indian States in which the species has been documented | Andhra Pradesh,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,Goa,Karnataka,Kerala,Lakshadweep,Maharashtra,Orissa,Pondicherry,Tamil Nadu,West Bengal | Wikipedia |
| Locations at which the species has been documented | ||
| Biotic zones inhabited | East Coast, West Coast, Outlying Islands | Based on Wikipedia |
| Details about the habitat | The coconut palm thrives on sandy soils and is highly tolerant of salinity. It prefers areas with abundant sunlight and regular rainfall (150 cm to 250 cm annually), which makes colonizing shorelines of the tropics relatively straightforward.Coconuts also need high humidity (70–80%+) for optimum growth | Wikipedia |
| Is this species native to India? | Yes | Wikipedia |
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Sub-Himalayan regions? | No | |
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Western Ghats? | Yes | Wikipedia |
| Is the species indigenous/endemic to Eastern Ghats? |
More plants native to India
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If no maps are displayed below, it means the required data is absent. Click on "Edit with form" button on top of the page to add this information.
{{#generateMap:Andhra Pradesh,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,Goa,Karnataka,Kerala,Lakshadweep,Maharashtra,Orissa,Pondicherry,Tamil Nadu,West Bengal|Cocosnucifera_brahma.svg|align=center}}
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Does this species have any medicinal use? | Yes |
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Other plants of the same family having medicinal use:
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| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| General types of ailments this species is used for treating | Infectious diseases, Accidents, Pains and Inflammation | |
| Specific ailments for which the species is used | Skin infections | Himalaya Health |
| Medicinal systems which use this plant | Folk Medicine | Wikipedia |
| Details of Medicinal use | Coconut is commonly used as a traditional remedy in Pakistan to treat bites from rats. Octanoic acid extracted from fruit is active against Candida infections and against other dermatophytes. Coconut water has cooling effect on the body. It is also used for relief from indigestion. | Wikipedia, Gauravm, Himalaya |
| Parts of the plant used for treatment | Leaves, Fruit | |
| Names of some medicinal active compounds in this plant, if known. | ||
| Details of the active chemical compounds found in this plant | ||
| Is the molecular basis of the medicinal action known? | Yes | |
| Details of molecular basis of action | Octanoic acid is one active compound and has antifungal activity against Candida and some other dermatophytes | Himalaya Herbfinder |
| Are the toxic effects of consumption of this plant known? | No | |
| Details of the toxic effects of the plant species | ||
| Have there been validation/clinical studies related to this plant? | ||
| Details of the clinical studies related to the plant species |
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Is this plant/plant-derived product used in food preparations? | Yes | User-reported |
| Part(s) of the plant used in the food preparations | Fruit | |
| Details of use in food preparations | The nut provides oil for cooking and making margarine.
The white, fleshy part of the seed, the coconut meat, is edible and used fresh or dried in cooking.Coconut water contains sugar, fiber, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and provides an isotonic electrolyte balance, making it a nutritious food source. It is used as a refreshing drink throughout the humid tropics, and is used in isotonic sports drinks.Coconut milk is made by processing grated coconut with hot water or milk, which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds.Invariably the main side dish served with Idli, Vada, and Dosa is coconut chutney.Coconut is mixed and ground with spices for sambar and lunch dishes. |
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| Does this species have any religious significance? | Yes | User-reported |
| Religions which mention/give significance to this species | Hinduism | Gauravm |
| Religious occasions | ||
| Details of religious use |
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Is this plant cultivated commercially in India? | Yes | SupriyaK |
| Uses for which the plant is commercially cultivated | Human consumption, Animal consumption, Agricultural use, Cosmetic use, Ornamental use, Religious use, Industrial use, Wood | Gauravm, Wikipedia |
| Plant parts of commercial value | Root, Stem, Bark, Leaves, Fruit | Gauravm, Wikipedia |
| Products where this plant is used | User-reported | |
| Description of use | Coconut leaves are used for making brooms. Bark and coir (fruit hair) used for making brooms, ropes, mattresses, brushes and even as potting compost. Fruit is used in several food preparations, most notably chutneys and coconut sweets.Coconut milk is rich in fatty acids (17% fat content) and used for making hair oils and edible oils.
The dried calyx of the coconut is used as fuel in wood fired stoves. The fresh husk of a brown coconut is also used as a dish sponge or as a body sponge.Coconut roots are used as a dye and a mouthwash.Coconut trunks are used for building small bridges; they are preferred for their straightness, strength and salt resistance. In Kerala (India), coconut trunks are used for house construction.The husk and shells can be used for fuel and are a source of charcoal. |
Wikipedia |
| States where this plant is cultivated commercially | Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Orissa, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal | SupriyaK,Gauravm |
| Best period for planting this plant | ||
| Best period for harvesting this plant | ||
| Method of propagation | Seeds | |
| Water requirement of this plant | ||
| Pests and Diseases affecting this plant during cultivation | ||
| Other considerations while cultivating this plant |
Pubmed Word cloud
This word cloud is obtained using the tool LigerCat by searching the Pubmed database. LigerCat builds the cloud from the most relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. Each term's relative size indicates how many times it appears in the PubMed search results. Click on a term to access the full LigerCat cloud, with live PubMed search capabilities. LigerCat has been developed for the Biology of Aging Project.
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- If there is an error message below, it means that there is no retrievable information available on NCBI
- If the number of nucleotide sequences is less than 100, very little genomic work has been done on this species. A respectable number of nucleotide sequences is above 10000.
- Most of the nucleotide sequences may come from three sources:
- Studies on single genes, where people try to sequence genes such as some specific dehydrogenases important,say, for tannin production
- Sequences of Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer, whose sequence is used for generating molecular phylogenetic trees to establish species relationships
- Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) which can tell about which genes are present and expressed in the species at a particular time in the given tissue
{{#queryDB:taxonomy |Cocos nucifera }}
| Parameter | Value(s) | References See complete references in the References section at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Details of modern scientific knowledge available for this species | ||
| Are herbarium specimen available for this species? | ||
| Institutes having herbarium samples |
If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID
{{#EoLOnlyAdditionalInfo:1091712}}
References
Wikipedia (Web): Habitat,Uses, Accessdate=2010-June-28
Encyclopedia of Life (Web): Description, Accessdate=2010-June-28
Himalaya, Himalaya Herbfinder (Web): Himalaya Monograph on Coconut, Accessdate=2010-08-07
| This article is a stub. You can help Project Brahma by expanding it. |
