Where is coconuts found

He adds that a recent study of rice varieties found in Madagascar shows there is a similar mixing of the japonica and indica rice varieties from Southeast Asia and India. To add to the historical shiver, the descendants of the people who brought the coconuts and rice are still living in Madagascar.

The present-day inhabitants of the Madagascar highlands are descendants of the ancient Austronesians, Olsen says. The scientists were astonished by the amount of structure in the coconut DNA, enough structure to allow them to trace some of the coconuts travels with humans. For a full screen version of this chart, click here. The Portuguese carried coconuts from the Indian Ocean to the West Coast of Africa, Olsen says, and the plantations established there were a source of material that made it into the Caribbean and also to coastal Brazil.

So the coconuts that you find today in Florida are largely the Indian ocean type, Olsen says, which is why they tend to have the niu kafa form.

Some appear to have been transported there in pre-Columbian times by ancient Austronesians moving east rather than west. During the colonial period, the Spanish brought coconuts to the Pacific coast of Mexico from the Philippines, which was for a time governed on behalf of the King of Spain from Mexico. This is why, Olsen says, you find Pacific type coconuts on the Pacific coast of Central America and Indian type coconuts on the Atlantic coast.

Far from being a mish-mash, coconut DNA preserves a record of human cultivation, voyages of exploration, trade and colonization. Building bacteria to keep us well. Other household items such as bowls, spoons and buttons are carved from the hard shell of the coconut. Handicrafts and jewelry, made from various parts of the tree, are sold to tourists.

All parts of the tree can be composted into fertilizer, and the leaves used as animal feed. The leaves, husks and shells are burned for fuel. Commercially, charcoal filters made from coconut shells are used in gas masks and cigarettes, and are considered superior to filters made from other sources. The cosmetic and hygiene industries have incorporated coconut oil into makeup, soap, moisture creams, and hair care products.

Throughout history, man has tinkered with nature in an attempt to create the perfect plant. In the case of the coconut palm tree, nature beat him to it.

Since the coconut palm is vital to many cultures, it follows that there are numerous beliefs and legends regarding this prized plant.

In India, the coconut symbolizes the goddess of fertility, and is bestowed upon women wishing to bear children. Similarly, in parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the coconut palm represents birth, and a tree is planted for every newborn. In the Philippines, human origin is believed to come from two coconuts, one male and one female, washed ashore from the sea.

Polynesian legend says that coconuts only grow where they can hear the sound of the sea and human voices. Many legends tell the origin of the coconut palm, and that of Tonga is retold here. On a remote Tongan island there lived a beautiful young girl named Heina. She lived beside a freshwater lake with her parents. Every morning Heina bathed in the lake and was watched by an eel that fell in love with her.

Heina agreed to marry the eel, but her parents forbade it. The father trapped the eel, and before killing him allowed him to see Heina one last time. The eel begged her to ask her parents to keep his head and bury it outside her house. The trees produce seeds all year long, so at any given time a tree can house coconuts at any stage of development. This varied rate of development can actually be a problem, since palms are known to drop their wares randomly from about 30 feet in the air!

If you're walking in an area where there are coconut trees, you must be careful not to get smashed in the head by falling seeds, which are also known to take out the windshields of unlucky cars. Thankfully, many grocery stores are beginning to carry fresh coconuts in their produce section, so you don't need to take a trip to a deserted tropical island to experience the joy of fresh coconut.

Ask your local grocery to carry young Thai coconuts, which are known for their particularly tender flesh. Where Are Coconuts Grown? Which Fruits Grow on Palm Trees? Where Can You Get One? The coconut is a tropical tree species, mainly grown and harvested by small-scale farmers.

Production of coconuts is concentrated on island and coastal areas, such as Fiji and Samoa, as well as in the humid tropics, such as India , the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

The coconut is a very useful plant with a wide range of products being sourced from it. Coconut products are used to make everything from clothing to animal feed to beauty creams.

Its kernel is harvested for its edible flesh and delicious water, while its husk is used for its strong fibers. Most important, however, are its oils, which are extracted, processed, and marketed for culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic uses alike.

This product is then hauled to factories across the world where it is manufactured into oil. I ndonesia is the world leader of coconut production. The majority of the country's coconuts are produced in the province of North Sulawesi. Many of the coconuts produced in Indonesia are exported overseas.