COCONUT TREE

COCONUT TREE

Introduction

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) can be found throughout the tropics and in many islands in the Pacific as it is the tropics most common plant. Its history is complex and has played a major role in both human and ecological survival. The origins and its dissemination have undergone much debate and there are many theories as to how coconuts arrived in the Pacific but what becomes clear is the capacity for coconuts to survive and colonize new areas. It starts from the beginning of the nut whose resiliency has the strength to withstand some of the world’s worst case scenarios and the palm's ability to adapt to many different environments. Humans have also played a major role in cocos dispersal because of its ability to provide many different resources like food and water. It has often been referred to as the "tree of life" or the "tree of heaven". In this paper, I will examine the natural history of the coconut and the various theories as to how it arrived in the Pacific. This information is important when looking at ecosystems like Palmyra and Fanning Island who are facing ecological impacts due to the increase in coconut palms. Little information is known about the presence of coconuts on the two islands but there are many examples throughout the Pacific in which coconuts have been introduced. I will seek to relate these situations with Fanning and Palmyra in order to understand what may have occurred.

Uses

Coconut palms have many different products and food uses. Palms are mostly used

for copra, which is the white meat (the solid endosperm) that is connected to the shell. Copra is mostly sold dried and shredded and is common in most confections and cakes. Copra also can be used to extract oil which is widely used in margarine and some cooked goods. In addition, the liquid endosperm has two uses, coconut "milk" and water, which is extracted from immature coconuts. Coconut water is well known as a source of fresh and sterile water when in hot tropical environments. "Jaggery" is a sugar-like product that is derived from the sap of the inflorescence, it is rich in vitamin C, and is used as a substitute for sugar in many locations. When the sap is fermented it can be made into "arrack", an alcoholic spirit, and also vinegar. Palm is believed to have evolved from the Indonesian archipelago and was most likely dispersed to the Pacific due to the capacity for the nut to travel by ocean currents over long periods of time and possibly transported by human migrants.

The coconut palm was known in the Society Islands as Haari or Niu and according

Maohi people there were at least sixteen different varieties. In Polynesian societies, coconuts were a staple food, were a key source of vitamins in their diet and were mostly eaten when the kernel was still immature. Coconut water was also highly valuable as it provided a source of fresh water. Oils were extracted for both consumption and holistic reasons. The oils were known to have particular healing attributes and were used as a medium for breaking down medicinal herbs and roots. Coconut leaves were also used to craft baskets, fans, hats, and ornamental headdresses. Wood was used in both the home building and was carved into various weapons in the form of pikes and lances known as tao, Niu, and maehae. Coconut husks were fashioned into mats and to caulk planking in canoes.