| Characteristic | Tall coconuts |
Dwarf coconuts |
| Bearing intervals | Continuous, all stages at any time |
May be irregular |
| Bearing time after planting | 5-7 years | 3-4 years |
| Fruit size | Small to large | Small to medium |
| Harvesting | Difficult if not mechanized | Easy |
| Height, mature height | 15-22 metres | < 8 metres |
| Intercropping activities | Legumes, fruits, spices, pasture grass, cocoa | Grazing cattle |
| Intercropping potential | Higher | Lower |
| Life, productive life | <50 years | <30 years |
| Life, to senile age | 60-70 years | 30-40 years |
| Life span, death of palm |
80-100 years | < 50 years |
| Logging suitability | High | Low |
| Oil content | 66-70 % | 65 % |
| Planting density, grid | 7-10 metres | 5.5 metres |
| Planting density | 160 palms / ha (8 m grid) | 330 palms / ha |
| Pollination | Cross-pollinating | Self-pollinating |
| Storm damage | Lower risk | Higher risk |
| Use by smallholders | Wide use |
Limited use |
| Yield, plantation, av. | 9,700 nuts / ha | 11,000 nuts / ha |
| Yield, plantation, av. | > 150 g copra / nut | 90-120 g copra / nut |
| Yield, plantation, av. | 2.8 tons copra / ha | 2.9 tons copra / ha |
| Yield, smallholder | 0.8-0.9 tons copra / ha | little used |
| Source |
Caprylic C8 |
Capric C10 |
Lauric C12 |
Myrstic C14 |
Palmitic C16 |
Stearic C18 |
Oleic C18 |
Linoleic C182 |
alpha Linoleic C183 |
| Coconut |
08 |
7 |
49 |
18 |
8 |
2 |
6 |
2 |
. |
| Soy |
. |
. |
. |
. |
11 |
4 |
23 |
53 |
8 |
| Maize |
. |
. |
. |
. |
12 | 2 |
28 |
57 |
1 |
| eanut |
. |
. |
. |
. |
12 |
5 |
46 |
31 |
. |
| Butter |
1 |
2 |
3 |
12 |
16 |
12 |
45 |
10 |
1 |
| embryo --> | radicle (dies) cotyledon sheath --> | adventitious roots | main roots, primary roots | root = root cap, root tip + absorbing hypodermis + red impervious hypodermis |
| trunk --> |
bole, swollen base of stem internodes --> | adventitious roots | main roots, primary roots | root = root cap, root tip + absorbing hypodermis + red impervious hypodermis |
| trunk --> |
bole, swollen base of stem internodes --> | adventitious roots | lateral roots, main root branches --> rootlets | root = root cap, root tip + absorbing hypodermis + red impervious hypodermis |
| trunk --> |
bole, swollen base of stem internodes --> | adventitious roots | lateral roots --> | air breathing roots, pneumathodes, whitish lumps |
| single growing point, growing bud, central bud, main bud, vegetative bud, terminal bud, terminal meristem, apical bud, "cabbage" | tip of old stem narrows to "pencil point" |
| trunk --> | leaf scars |
| trunk --> | leaf axils (where the leaf meets the stem) |
| trunk --> | monocotyledon series of joints "node + leaf + internode" up the stem, internodes very short |
| bole, swollen base of stem --> roots | . |
| cotyledon --> first green leaf | seedling leaf and all leaves at first entire, fused leaflets, in fibrous leaf sheath, spear ---> | leaf or frond, sword leaf, in terminal crown |
| leaflets, pinnae | 1. lamina | leaf or frond, sword leaf, in terminal crown |
| midrib, rachis | 1. lamina | leaf or frond, sword leaf, in terminal crown |
| -. | 2. leaf stalk, petiole | leaf or frond, sword leaf, in terminal crown |
| - |
3. leaf base + fibrous sheath | leaf or frond, sword leaf, in terminal crown |
| male flowers (200 to 300) P 3+3, A 3 + 3 | inflorescence, flower bunch, flower cluster | spadix inflorescence in axil of each leaf, 1-2 metres long |
| female flowers (20 to 50) P3 + 3, G1 | inflorescence, flower bunch, flower cluster | spadix inflorescence in axil of each leaf, 1-2 metres long |
| main axis, main stalk, peduncle --> rachis --> lateral branches, spadix branch, flower stem --> flowers | inflorescence, flower bunch, flower cluster | spadix inflorescence in axil of each leaf, 1-2 metres long |
| lateral branches | inflorescence, flower bunch, flower cluster | spadix inflorescence in axil of each leaf, 1-2 metres long |
| outer sheath of spathe | sterile spathe, bract enclosing inflorescence, 1- 5 metres long | spadix inflorescence in axil of each leaf, 1-2 metres long |
| inner sheath of spathe | fertile spathe, bract enclosing inflorescence | spadix inflorescence in axil of each leaf, 1-2 metres long |
| exocarp, rind, smooth skin | . | . | fruit, seednut, fibrous drupe, button coconut |
| mesocarp, fibre and pith, husk (coir) | . | . | fruit, seednut, fibrous drupe, button coconut |
| endocarp, hard shell, | . | "nut", round coconut, dehusked coconut | fruit, seednut, fibrous drupe, button coconut |
| embryo | seed | "nut", round coconut, dehusked coconut | fruit, seednut, fibrous drupe, button coconut |
| testa, brown seed coat | seed | "nut", round coconut, dehusked coconut | fruit, seednut, fibrous drupe, button coconut |
| meat (kernel, endosperm) white flesh |
seed | "nut", round coconut, dehusked coconut | fruit, seednut, fibrous drupe, button coconut |
| cotyledon --> haustorium, button, apple, egg | seed | "nut", round coconut, dehusked coconut | fruit, seednut, fibrous drupe, button coconut |
| coconut water, coconut water, liquid endosperm, "coconut milk" |
seed | "nut", round coconut, dehusked coconut | fruit, seednut, fibrous drupe, button coconut |