Coconut

Coconut

Scientific name: Cocos nucifera L.

Local name: ‘Narikel’

Taxonomic position of coconut (according to Cronquist, 1981)

Kingdom         : Plantae
Division           : Magnoliophyta
Class                : Liliopsida

Subclass          : Arecidae

Order               : Arecales

Family             : Arecaceae

Genus              : Cocos

Species            : nucifera

Botanical Description of Coconut

Habit: Perennial tree

Root: Adventitious

Leaf: The spirally arranged leaves are pinnately compound, leaflets are linear-laceolate

Stem: Tall strait, bearing crown leaves, normally unbranched, composed of a series of joints

Inflorescence: Spadix, having a bract, known as spathe

Flower: unisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous, and sessile

Male flower: Numerous

Female flower: 20 to 40

Perianth: Tepal 6, arranged in two whorls

Androecium: Stamen 6, arranged in two whorls, anther versatile

Gynoecium: ovary superior, carpel 3, placentation axile

Fruit: One seeded drupe, woody endocarp, and smooth exocarp

Chromosome number: 2n=32

Economic Importance

Provides food, drink, oil, medicine, timber mats and domestic utensils. The oil is used for cooking, cosmetics, anointing the body, illumination and also for lubrication.

Table 1. Coconut variety released by BARI, Gazipur, Bangladesh