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| Cocos nucifera |
| Coconut palm is a long-lived single trunk plant, 20-30 m tall; bark smooth and grey, marked by ringed scars left by fallen leafbases; leaves, 4 - 6 m long, pinnate, linear-lanceolate, more or less recurved, rigid, bright green leaflets; inflorescences, arising at leaf axils, female flowers borne basally, male flowers at apex; fruit weighs 1-2 kg, a drupe with a thin, smooth, grey-brownish epicarp, a fibrous, 4-8 cm thick, mesocarp and a woody endocarp. |
| Common Names: coconut palm |
| Geographic Distribution: Native to tropical eastern regions, today it is grown both over the Asian continent (India, Ceylon, Indonesia) and in Central and South America (Mexico, Brazil); in Africa, the largest producing countries are Mozambique, Tanzania and Ghana. |
| Uses/Applications: Fibres are obtained from the coconut husks: mat fibre or yarn fibre, used in making mats; bristle fibre, used for brush making; and mattress fibre, used in stuffing mattresses and in upholstery. Leaflets are used in braiding mats, baskets and hats.Coconut oil contains fatty alcohol and glycerine used in soaps, detergents, shampoos cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and explosives. Alcohol: Sap from the tender, unopened inflorescence (coconut palm sap) is used in the producing areas for toddy, or tuba, a beverage obtained by natural fermentation. |
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| © 2010 Naturally African Platform |
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