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Cocos nucifera

By Karen Smith

Cocos nucifera is the scientific name of the common coconut. This very tall palm tree is always an inviting symbol of the tropics. The plant is one of the most valuable plants to man. It is a primary source of food, drink, and shelter. In Sanskrit the coconut palm is called "kalpa vriksha", which is defined as "the tree which provides all the necessities of life."



The coconut was first mentioned in 545 AD by an Egyptian Monk named Cosmos Indicopleustes. He visited western India and Ceylon. In his "Topographia Christiana", Cosmos describes the coconut as the "great nut of India." The Mahavasma, an ancient chronological history of Ceylon, describes the planting of coconuts in that country in 589 AD.

In 1280 Marco Polo, described coconut growing in Sumatra, as well as in Madras and Malabar in India, calling it nux indica, the Indian nut. The first detailed description of the coconut palm in western literature was provided by the Italian explorer Lodovico, di Varthema in his "Itinerario" of 1510, in which he referred to it astenga.







Distribution of the coconut palm extends over most of the tropical islands and coasts and on some places outside the tropic zone. In India, the palm is found as far North as Lacknow ( at 26 degrees N), however it does not commonly fruit there. In Africa the northern limits are on the west coast, Cape Verde (15 degrees N); and on the east coast Djibouti (11.50 degrees N), 24 degrees N isolated palms have been discovered on the Red Sea. Mossamedes, or the south end of Africa and Zambezi River (19 degrees S) on the east.

In South America as low as 27 degrees S the palm grows in North America at 25 degrees N in Florida and the Bahamas. The plantations furthest from the equator are probably those in Florida.

Within producing countries, it is noted that the wide and varied utilization of the coconut will always be important in the economic aspect. Raw Copra used to be the major export but as coconut oil is becoming more widely used its export is increasing. Another change is the export of coconuts in the shell to the exporting of desiccated coconut. Both of these changes have benefited the countries of origin by creating more employment in the tropics.

The coconut has been a growing success since the time it was first discovered and to this day this very diverse plant is still showing great potential.


Child, Reginald. "Coconuts". 2nd edition. Longman Group Ltd. 1974.

Woodruff, Jasper Guy, Ph.D. "Coconuts: Production, Processing, Products." The Avi Publishing Co, Inc, 1970.

Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. 7 1989.

Collier's Encyclopedia. Vol. 6 1984.

Dictionary of Archaeology "The facts of file."


Southern Illinois University Carbondale / Ethnobotanical Leaflets /
Last updated: 09-December-97 / du