The Coconut
Phylogeny,Origins, and Spread

Comprehensively covers the botany, phylogeny, origins, and spread of the coconut tree and its primary usage as a globally important crop

N Madhavan Nayar (Author)

9780128097786, Elsevier Science

Paperback, published 4 January 2017

240 pages
22.9 x 15.1 x 1.6 cm, 0.43 kg

The Coconut: Phylogeny, Origins, and Spread comprehensively covers the botany, phylogeny, origins, and spread of the coconut palm. The coconut is used primarily for its oil, fiber, and as an article of food, including its tender-nut water. Until the 1950s, coconut oil used to rank first in the world in production and international trade among all the vegetable oils. Since then, lower-cost sources such as the African oil palm, soybean, canola, and others have overtaken the coconut in oil production and trade. The coconut, Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae), is a dominant part of the littoral vegetation across the tropics. In addition to discussing the origins of the coconut and its use as a crop, the book covers the resurgence in the use of the coconut in food, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals.

1. The Coconut in the World2. Early History, Lore, and Economic Botany3. Taxonomy and Intraspecific Classification4. Paleobotany and Archeobotany5. Phylogeny6. Biogeography7. Origins: Past Observations8. Origins9. Spread10. Afterword: Does the Coconut Have a Future?

Subject Areas: Tropical agriculture: practice & techniques [TVQ], Food & beverage technology [TDCT]