Introduction

coconut,​ fruit of the coco ​palm​ ( ​Cocos nucifera​ ), a tree widely distributed through tropical regions.
The seed is peculiarly adapted to dispersal by water because the large pod holding the nut is buoyant
and impervious to moisture. The trees therefore establish themselves naturally on small islands and
low shores bordering the tropical seas. The tree grows to a height of 60–100 ft (18–30 m), with a
smooth cylindrical stem marked by the ringlike scars of former leaves. It bears at the top a crown of
frondlike leaves and yellow or white blossoms.

The number of nuts varies; a well-cared-for tree may yield 75 to 200 or more annually. The mature
fruit as it comes from the tree is encased in a thick, brown fibrous husk. The nut itself has a hard
woody shell, with three round scars at one end; the embryo lies against the largest scar and emerges
through it as a developing plant. Through this easily punctured spot the "milk" of the young coconut
may be drained.
Commercial Value

Its constantly growing commercial value has led to extensive cultivation of the coconut, especially in
the Malay Archipelago, Sri Lanka, and India. The coco palm is one of the most useful trees in
existence, every part of it having some value. The fruit, either ripe or unripe, raw or cooked, is a staple
food in the tropics; the terminal bud, called palm cabbage, is considered a delicacy; the inner part of
young stems is also eaten. The milk of the young nut is a nutritious drink. A sweet liquid obtained from
the flower buds ferments readily and is used as a beverage, both when fresh and when distilled to
make arrack; it may be boiled down to make various palm sugars, e.g., jaggery. The leaves are used
for making fans, baskets, and thatch. The coir (coarse fibers obtained from the husk) is made into
cordage, mats, and stuffing; it becomes more buoyant and elastic than hemp in saltwater. The hard

shell and the husk are used for fuel. The fibrous center of the old trunk is also used for ropes, and the
timber, known as porcupine wood, is hard and fine-grained and takes a high polish. From the
nutshells are made containers of various kinds—cups, ladles, and bowls—often highly polished and
ornamentally carved. The root is chewed as a narcotic.

Commercially the greatest value of the coconut lies in the oil, which is extracted from the dried kernels
of the fruit. The nuts when ripe are apt to spoil or become rancid; therefore when they are gathered
they are broken open, and the flesh is dried and exported under the name of copra. The oil content of
copra ranges from 50% to 70%, depending upon the method of drying. Coconut oil, the major type of
palm oil, has been extracted by mortar and pestle in Asia since antiquity; the coconut and the olive
are the earliest recorded sources of vegetable oil. Primitive methods of drying and expressing the
copra are giving way to modern machinery such as rotary driers and hydraulic presses. The residue,
known as coco cake, makes excellent cattle food, as it usually contains a remnant of 6%–10% oil.
Large quantities of shredded or desiccated coconut made from copra and many whole coconuts are
exported for use chiefly in the making of cakes, desserts, and confectionery.

Few awesome facts about coconut.

Coconut Armor
When we think “coconut armor,” the first image that comes to mind is
probably a hollowed-out coconut husk used as a makeshift helmet. But
craftsmen in the small Micronesian archipelago of Kiribati were far more
clever than that.

Their coconut suit​ was made out of densely woven coconut fiber
matting—kind of like wearing really thick carpet. The armor consisted of a
cap, body armor, back plate, leggings, and jerkin (a close-fitting jacket). A
high collar in the back protected the warrior from stones thrown from his
own side, a primitive form of artillery support.

Prehistorical Mapping With Coconut Trade

Routes
The stalwart coconut has been a key factor in the growth and development
of many human civilizations. And now, scientists have discovered just how
large a part coconuts have played in ​trade and migration​.

There are more than 1,300 kinds of coconut, and they can be separated
into two main genetic origins: the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. By
examining the coconuts’ genetic ancestry, evolutionary biologist Kenneth
Olsen and his team have been able to trace the trade routes and migratory
paths of ancient human civilizations—all the way to fairly recent times.

The Art Of The Coconut

Gifted artists can create beauty out of anything, and the coconut is no
exception. It’s been used as a ​medium for sculptures​ both crude and
intricate, involving great levels of detail and skill. The smooth, unbroken
coconut shell also makes a great canvas for festive paintings.

Coconuts are also an integral part of some tropical folk dances and cultural
performances. ​Take the maglalatik​, for instance, which is a dance
indigenous to the Philippines. It employs coconut shell halves strapped to
various parts of a male performer’s body and used as makeshift drums.

Trained Coconut Monkeys

Palm trees are dangerous for humans to climb, and it can be awkward
trying to wrench a 10-pound coconut free while holding on for dear life.
That’s why coconut farmers have enlisted some simian specialists to do the
dirty work for them.

In tropical countries like Sumatra, farmers ​train monkeys​ to harvest their

coconuts. Most farmers control the beasts with a long leash, but some
monkeys are so well-trained they respond to their owner’s voice. These
animals are in such high demand that they can fetch quite the penny.

The Coconut IV
The humble coconut has many well-documented health benefits when
eaten, many of which have been covered in numerous health publications,
but in this case, the advantage is far more direct.

As it turns out, coconut water is a workable short-term substitute for human

blood plasma and was positively tested as ​emergency intravenous fluid​ as
far back as the ’50s. There’s been at least one documented case where a
coconut IV was used in the Solomon Islands to treat a severely dehydrated
patient.