Cocos nucifera - Coconut Tree
❏ Binomial Name : Cocos nucifera L.
❏ Synonym : Cocos indica,Diplothemium henryanum,Palma cocos
❏ Family : Arecaceae
❏ Common Name : Coconut Tree
❏ Tamil Name : Tengai maram
❏ Hindi Name : Nariyal
❏ IUCN status: Not Evaluated
Cocos nucifera Botanical Description
Erect trees with annular petiolar scars. Leaves pinnatisect, 4-6 m long; leaflets reduplicate, 60-100 x 2.5-5 cm, base narrow, apex tapering, acute. Spadices interfoliar, 50-100 cm long, panicled; branches to 60 cm long. Spathe 60-130 cm long, oblong, woody. Flowers monoecious, subsessile. Male flowers: often paired, to 8 mm long. Sepals c. 3 mm long, ovate. Petals 6-8 mm long, ovate, woody, yellowish-brown. Stamens 6; pistillode short, 3-fid. Female flowers 1-3 per branch, basal, globose. Perianth-lobes 6; woody; outer lobes broadly obovate, c. 2 cm across; inner lobes reniform, to 2 cm across. Ovary 3-celled; ovule 1 per cell; style short. Drupe to 30 cm long, ovoid or globose, trigonous; pericarp fibrous; endocarp stony. Seed coherent with the endocarp. Fl. &Fr.: Throughout the year.Cocos nucifera Medicinal uses
❀ The seed oil is cytotoxic, emetic, emollient, hypotensive and purgative❀ Juice from the fruit is taken to treat kidney problems
❀ The juice from a green coconut is given to women who have difficult pregnancies