what is the largest coconut

Who is the largest producer of coconuts in the world?

In 2019, Indonesia was the world’s leading coconut producer, producing approximately 17.13 million metric tons of coconuts. India was the third largest coconut producer in the world that year, accounting for roughly 14.68 million metric tons of global production volume. Is coconut the largest seed?

What is the world’s biggest nut?

The coco de mer, the world’s biggest and heaviest nut, is receiving a more sophisticated anti-counterfeiting defense. The coco de mer palm, which grows on just two islands in the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean and has seeds or nuts that are half a metre in diameter and weigh up to 25 kilograms.

What are double coconuts and how big are they?

With their rather suggestive shape and weighing up to an impressive 25kg, while measuring up to half a metre long, these spectacular seeds are attractive to scientists, tourists and poachers alike. Legend has it that the double coconut possesses medicinal properties.

What is the scientific name for a coconut?

Coconut. The coconut tree ( Cocos nucifera) is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus Cocos. The term " coconut " (or the archaic " cocoanut ") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which botanically is a drupe, not a nut.

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Which is the world's biggest coconut?

Lodoicea maldivica, also known as the double coconut, or coco-de-mer, is renowned for producing the largest and heaviest seeds in the world.

How big can a coconut get?

Coconut palms, which contain the seed or nut surrounded by the husk, can grow up to 18 inches in length and 12 inches in diameter. The nut itself can reach 6 to 8 inches in diameter with three sunken soft tissue spots called “eyes” at one end.

Where is the largest coconut tree in the world?

Coconut plantation in Lombok Island, Indonesia.Indonesia - 17.13 million metric tons. Indonesia is the world leader of coconut production. ... Philippines - 14.77 million metric tons. ... India - 14.68 million metric tons. ... Sri Lanka - 2.47 million metric tons. ... Brazil - 2.33 million metric tons.

What is the rarest coconut in the world?

the horned coconutThe rarest coconut varieties, for instance the horned coconut, grown and conserved on the Tetiaroa Atoll and in India, are not even recognised as coconuts by most people, especially Westerners.

Can you grow a coconut tree from a coconut?

Planting Coconut Trees Soak it in water for two to three days. After the coconut has soaked, place it in a container filled with well-draining potting soil. It is best to mix in a little sand or vermiculite to make sure the soil you will be growing coconut trees in drains well.

What is the lifespan of a coconut tree?

With a life span of 60-80 years, it is considered a “three-generation tree” as it can support a farmer, his children, and his grandchildren. The tree is slow to mature, bearing coconuts in six to 10 years. A mature tree has a trunk about 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and can obtain a height of 100 feet (30 m).

What country has the best coconuts?

Young Thai coconuts are well known for being the best in the world, even compared to other countries in Southeast Asia. The variety most commonly grown in Thailand is called “Nam Hom," which translates to “fragrant water." Indeed, these coconuts are unique for a variety of reasons.

Which country is famous for coconut?

Indonesia is the world's leading coconut producer in 2020, with about 16.82 million metric tons of coconuts produced. That year, India was the second largest coconut producer in the world, accounting for around 14.7 million metric tons of global production volume.

Which country has king coconut?

Abstract: King coconut (Cocos nucifera), a variety of coconut that is native to Sri Lanka. King coconut water is one of the fastest growing export commodities in Sri Lanka during the last decade.

Are sea coconuts real?

Lodoicea, commonly known as the sea coconut, coco de mer, or double coconut, is a monotypic genus in the palm family. The sole species, Lodoicea maldivica, is endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles. It has the biggest seed in a plant.

Are double coconuts edible?

Coco de mer fruits, among the largest known, take about 10 years to ripen; they have a fleshy and fibrous envelope surrounding a hard, nutlike portion that is generally two-lobed, suggesting a double coconut. The contents of the nut are edible but are not commercially valuable.

Are coconuts going extinct?

Not extinctCoconut / Extinction status

Is eating coconut good for you?

Rich in fiber and MCTs, it may offer a number of benefits, including improved heart health, weight loss, and digestion. Yet, it's high in calories and saturated fat, so you should eat it in moderation. Overall, unsweetened coconut meat makes a great addition to a balanced diet.

Is coconut healthy or unhealthy?

Nutrition Information Coconut is generally regarded as a source of healthy fat. The meat contains protein and fiber, as well as some essential minerals such as: Iron. Manganese.

Is there meat in coconuts?

What Is Coconut Meat, and Does It Have Benefits? Coconut meat is the white flesh inside a coconut. Coconuts are the large seeds of coconut palms (Cocos nucifera), which grow in tropical climates. Their brown, fibrous husks conceal the meat inside.

Are coconuts filled with milk or water?

As for their composition, it's no surprise that coconut water contains mainly water — about 94% — and carbs while having virtually no fat and proteins. On the contrary, coconut milk has a lower amount of water — around 50% — with fat being its predominant nutrient ( 2 ).

Which country produces the most coconuts?

Indonesia is the world's largest producer of coconuts, with gross production of 15 million tonnes. A sprouting coconut seed is the logo for Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia, the Indonesian scouting organization.

How much does a coconut weigh?

A full-sized coconut fruit weighs about 1.4 kg (3 lb 1 oz).

Why are coconuts different from other fruits?

Coconuts are distinct from other fruits because their endosperm contains a large quantity of clear liquid, called coconut water or coconut juice. Mature, ripe coconuts can be used as edible seeds, or processed for oil and plant milk from the flesh, charcoal from the hard shell, and coir from the fibrous husk.

How tall is a coconut palm tree?

Cocos nucifera is a large palm, growing up to 30 m (100 ft) tall, with pinnate leaves 4–6 m (13–20 ft) long, and pinnae 60–90 cm (2–3 ft) long; old leaves break away cleanly, leaving the trunk smooth. On fertile soil, a tall coconut palm tree can yield up to 75 fruits per year, but more often yields less than 30. Given proper care and growing conditions, coconut palms produce their first fruit in six to ten years, taking 15 to 20 years to reach peak production.

What is the name of the tree in Mohombi?

For other uses, see Coconut (disambiguation). "Coconut tree" redirects here. For the Mohombi song, see Coconut Tree (song). The coconut tree ( Cocos nucifera) is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus Cocos.

What is the interior of a coconut palm?

Two of the pores are plugged (the "eyes"), while one is functional. Coconut palm heavy with fruit. The interior of the endocarp is hollow and is lined with a thin brown seed coat around 0.2 mm (0.0079 in) thick. The endocarp is initially filled with a multinucleate liquid endosperm (the coconut water ).

Where did coconuts originate?

Modern genetic studies have identified the center of origin of coconuts as being the Central Indo-Pacific, the region between western Southeast Asia and Melanesia, where it shows greatest genetic diversity. Their cultivation and spread was closely tied to the early migrations of the Austronesian peoples who carried coconuts as canoe plants to islands they settled. The similarities of the local names in the Austronesian region is also cited as evidence that the plant originated in the region. For example, the Polynesian and Melanesian term niu; Tagalog and Chamorro term niyog; and the Malay word nyiur or nyior. Other evidence for a Central Indo-Pacific origin is the native range of the coconut crab; and the higher amounts of C. nucifera -specific insect pests in the region (90%) in comparison to the Americas (20%), and Africa (4%).

What is the name of the double coconut?

The huge leaves of the double coconut (Lodoicea maldivica) © David Gower.

Where did the double coconut evolve?

On the beautiful islands of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean grows a legendary palm.

What is the largest seed in the world?

The largest seed in the world - double coconut (Lodoicea maldivica) © RBG Kew.

Is double coconut a medicinal plant?

Legend has it that the double coconut possesses medicinal properties. Although these “healing powers” remain unproven, the palm remains of high interest as an aesthetic wonder, with single nuts currently sold for £500-£2,000. The largest seed in the world - double coconut (Lodoicea maldivica) © RBG Kew.

Which country has the largest coconut production?

Indonesia is the world’s largest coconut-producing countries with coconut production reaching 17.1 million tons. In this country, the planted area reaches more than 3.5 million hectares with more than 90% of the area belonging to smallholder plantations. There are several provinces that are the main coconut plantation areas and its area spreads out in many provinces of Indonesia .

How many tons of coconuts are there in the world?

Based on data from the FAO Statistical Database (FAO Stats), Globally, coconut production worldwide in 2019 is about 62 million tons with a planted area of 11.8 million hectares. By continent, coconut production has a large area in the Asian region reaching 53 million tons, followed by the Americas at 4.9 million tons, and Oceania at 2.1 million tons. If viewed from the point of view of the country, several countries become the center of coconut plantations. Because the coconut plant has several benefits, especially in terms of health, many countries are competing to cultivate this plant. The following are some of the world’s largest coconut-producing countries in 2019. This data is obtained from the FAO Statistical Database in 2019.

Where are coconuts grown?

Introduced by Portuguese explorers in 1553 and first planted in the state of Bahia, Brazil became one of the world’s major coconut producers. Brazil is the 5th largest country as the largest coconut-producing country in the world. Its production in 2019 reached 2.3 million tons. The North and Northeast regions of the country are central to coconut production in the states of Bahia, Sergipe, and Ceará.

What is the name of the coconut tree in the Maldives?

Formerly Lodoicea was known as Maldive coconut. Its scientific name, Lodoicea maldivica, originated before the 18th century when the Seychelles were uninhabited. In centuries past the coconuts that fell from the trees and ended up in the sea would be carried away eastwards by the prevailing sea currents. The nuts can only float after the germination process, when they are hollow. In this way many drifted to the Maldives where they were gathered from the beaches and valued as an important trade and medicinal item. This association is reflected in one of the plant's archaic botanical names, Lodoicea callipyge Comm. ex J. St.-Hil., in which callipyge is from Greek words meaning 'beautiful buttocks'. Other botanical names used in the past include Lodoicea sechellarum Labill. and Lodoicea sonneratii (Giseke) Baill.

What are the characteristics of Lodoicea?

While the functional characteristics of Lodoicea are similar to other trees of monodominant forests in the humid tropics, its unique features include a huge seed, effective funnelling mechanism and diverse community of closely associated animals. These attributes suggest a long evolutionary history under relatively stable conditions. Of the six monospecific endemic palms in Seychelles, Lodoicea is the "only true case of island gigantism among Seychelles flowering plants, a unique feature of Seychelles vegetation". It holds seven botanical records: It produces the largest wild fruit so far recorded, weighing up to 42 kg (although domesticated pumpkins and watermelons can be much heavier); The mature seeds weighing up to 17.6 kg are the world's heaviest, The seed upon germinating, produces the longest known cotyledon, up to four meters (13 feet). The female flowers are the largest of any palm. The male catkins, up to two meters (6.5 feet) in length, are the longest known. The sepals, which grow with the fruit, are the largest known; up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) long by six inches (15 centimeters) wide. and Lodoicea is the most efficient plant known at recovering nutrients from moribund leaves.

Where is Lodoicea found?

Lodoicea belongs to the Coryphoideae subfamily and tribe Borasseae. Borasseae is represented by four genera in Madagascar and one in Seychelles out of the seven worldwide. They are distributed on the coastlands surrounding the Indian ocean and the existing islands within. Borassus, the genus closest to Lodoicea, has about five species in the "old world," one species in Africa, one in India, South-East Asia and Malaysia, one in New Guinea and two species in Madagascar.

Where is the sea coconut found?

The sole species, Lodoicea maldivica, is endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles. It has the biggest seed in a plant. It formerly also was found on the small islets of St Pierre, Chauve-Souris, and Ile Ronde (Round Island), all located near Praslin, but had become extinct there for a time until recently reintroduced. The name of the genus, Lodoicea, may be derived from Lodoicus, one Latinised form of Louis (typically Ludovicus ), in honour of King Louis XV of France. Other sources say that Lodoicea is from Laodice, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba.

How tall is a lodoicea?

Lodoicea is robust, solitary, up to 30 m tall with an erect, spineless, stem which is ringed with leaf scars (Calstrom, unpublished). The base of the trunk is of a bulbous form and this bulb fits into a natural bowl, or socket, about 75 cm ( 2#N#+#N#1⁄2 ft) in diameter and 46 cm (18 in) in depth, narrowing towards the bottom. This bowl is pierced with hundreds of small oval holes about the size of a thimble with hollow tubes corresponding on the outside through which the roots penetrate the ground on all sides, never, however, becoming attached to the bowl; they are partially elastic, affording an almost imperceptible but very necessary "play" to the parent stem when struggling against the force of violent gales.

How tall is a coconut tree?

The tree generally grows to 25–34 m tall. The tallest on record, measured on the ground after felling, was 56.7 m (186 ft) in total height. The leaves are fan-shaped, 7–10 m long and 4.5 m wide with a 4 m petiole in mature plants. However juveniles produce much longer petioles; up to 9 m (30 ft) or even 10 m (33 ft). It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The male flowers are arranged in a catkin -like inflorescence up to 1 m long which continues to produce pollen over a ten-year period; one of the longest-living inflorescences known. The mature fruit is 40–50 cm in diameter and weighs 15–30 kg, and contains the largest seed in the plant kingdom. The fruit, which requires 6–7 years to mature and a further two years to germinate, is sometimes also referred to as the sea coconut, love nut, double coconut, coco fesse, or Seychelles nut.

Is Lodoicea Maldivica endangered?

Lodoicea maldivica is officially classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with only approximately 8,000 wild mature trees left as of 2019. The history of exploitation continues today, and the collection of nuts has virtually stopped all natural regeneration of populations with the exception of the introduced population on Silhouette. This palm has been lost from the wild from three Seychelles islands within its former range. Habitat loss is one of the major threats to the survival of remaining populations, there have been numerous fires on the islands of Praslin and Curieuse, and only immature trees remain over large parts of these islands.

Overview

Production and cultivation

In 2020, world production of coconuts was 62 million tonnes, led by Indonesia, India, and the Philippines, with 75% combined of the total (table).
Coconut palms are normally cultivated in hot and wet tropical climates. They need year round warmth and moisture to grow well and fruit. Coconut palms are hard to establish in dry climates, and cannot grow there without frequent irrigation; in drought conditions, the new leaves do not o…

Description

Taxonomy

Distribution and habitat

Ecology

Allergens

Uses